Healthy fitness zone prevalence and age-specific fitness profile of young people in seven European countries in 2022: The EUFITMOS project.

BACKGROUND: Physical fitness is a health marker in youth and is associated with current and future health. OBJECTIVE: Present the healthy fitness zone (HFZ) prevalence and age-specific fitness profile of young people from seven European countries. METHODS: This study used data from the European Fitness Monitoring System project. The sample comprised 4965 (51.4% boys) youths aged 9 to 18 years. Fitness data were collected by physical education teachers using field-based tests. Raw data from the fitness tests were used to calculate the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of participants in the HFZ. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of boys and girls in the HFZ for all tests was 16.6% (95% CI = 14.7, 18.1) and 14.9% (95% CI = 13.2, 16.6), respectively. Boys have a mainly positive HFZ profiles, except for the 9-year-olds in the sit and reach (z-score difference = -1.20) and the 20 m run for boys 13-18-year-olds (z-score difference range: -0.09 to -0.01). Girls have worse HFZ profiles than boys, being out of the HFZ in several tests. Furthermore, a decreasing trend in z-score difference from the HFZ with age was observed in VO2 peak for boys and girls and sit and reach for girls. Notwithstanding, several country-related, sex and age differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Boys presented mostly healthy age-specific fitness profiles in several fitness tests and ages. These differences should be considered when promoting youth's health through physical activity and fitness, as different fitness levels may require different approaches to implementing health-enhancing physical activity policies.

Public Health and Perceived Human Rights Status in Montenegro among Different Age Groups: The National Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to quantify perceived human rights status and put it into perspective to identify areas for monitoring action and progress. Methods: The subjects of this cross-sectional study included a sample of 703 respondents (369 males and 334 females) aged between 18 and 82 yr, divided into four age groups. The research was conducted from 23 Apr to 9 Nov 2021 and respondents from all 24 municipalities of Montenegro were included. The sample of variables contained the system of 19 general attitudes, which give a review of human rights accomplishments (modeled by a seven-point Likert scale). The variables were analyzed using ANOVA, MANOVA, and LSD Post Hoc test. Results: There were differences in the perceived human rights status for different age groups when the interindividual level of interaction (most negative answers in-group IV) and the principle of human rights legislation participation (most negative answers in group I) were considered. Conclusion: This fact indicates the existence of vulnerable age groups. Members of the oldest age category do not succeed in accomplishing adequate interpersonal communication with the persons from their nearest environment, while the opinion of the youngest age category is not respected enough and the possibility to participate equally in the making of important decisions is not being provided to them.

Morphological characteristics and pulmonary function of naval saboteurs and ground special forces of the armed forces of Montenegro / Características morfológicas y función pulmonar de saboteadores navales y fuerzas especiales terrestres de las fuerzas armadas de Montenegro

SUMMARY: The results of numerous medical and kinesiological studies indicate the existence of differences in pulmonary function in relation to age, body height, and the relationship between certain parameters of body composition. The aim of this study was to determine the state of morphological characteristics and pulmonary function of naval saboteurs and ground Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Montenegro. The sample of participants included 30 naval saboteurs aged 30.3±6 years and 30 members of the ground special forces aged 25.6±5 years. The sample of measuring instruments included 4 indicators each for the evaluation of longitudinal dimensionality, transversal dimensionality, mass and body volume, subcutaneous fat, body composition, and pulmonary function. The central and dispersion parameters of the variables were calculated. The specificities of body composition of the naval saboteurs and members of the ground Special Forces of the AF of Montenegro were determined, while the parameters of lung volume and capacity and the parameters of airway flow indicated an excellent state of their respiratory function. Furthermore, it was determined that the studied members of the armed forces had no individual health risks in the sense of the onset of obesity or obstructive ventilatory defects. The results obtained indicate the need for further studies which would predominantly focus on the impact of individual morphological measurements and parameters of body composition on pulmonary function. This would provide important data both for the armed forces in the sense of improving the training system and the realization of specific tasks, as well as for kinesiology as a science from the aspect of determining certain regularities in the functioning of the human body in specific living and working conditions in the armed forces.

Los resultados de numerosos estudios médicos y kinesiológicos indican la existencia de diferencias en la función pulmonar en relación con la edad, la altura corporal y la relación entre determinados parámetros de la composición corporal. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el estado de las características morfológicas y la función pulmonar de los saboteadores navales y de las Fuerzas Especiales terrestres de las Fuerzas Armadas de Montenegro. La muestra de participantes incluyó a 30 saboteadores navales de 30,3±6 años de edad y 30 miembros de las fuerzas especiales terrestres de 25,6±5 años. La muestra de instrumentos de medición incluyó 4 indicadores cada uno para la evaluación de dimensionalidad longitudinal, dimensionalidad transversal, masa y volumen corporal, grasa subcutánea, composición corporal y función pulmonar. Se calcularon los parámetros centrales y de dispersión de las variables. Se determinaron las especificidades de la composición corporal de los saboteadores navales y miembros de las Fuerzas Especiales terrestres de la FA de Montenegro, mientras que los parámetros de volumen y capacidad pulmonar y los parámetros de flujo de las vías respiratorias indicaron un excelente estado de su función respiratoria. Además, se determinó que los miembros de las fuerzas armadas estudiados no tenían riesgos individuales de salud en el sentido de la obesidad o defectos ventilatorios obstructivos. Los resultados obtenidos indican la necesidad de más estudios que se centren predominantemente en el impacto de las medidas morfológicas individuales y los parámetros de composición corporal en la función pulmonar. Esto proporcionaría datos importantes tanto para las fuerzas armadas en el sentido de mejorar el sistema de entrenamiento y la realización de tareas específicas, como para la kinesiología como ciencia desde el aspecto de determinar ciertas regularidades en el funcionamiento del cuerpo humano en situaciones específicas de vida. y condiciones de trabajo en las fuerzas armadas.

Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! 2015 and 2020 Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. METHODS: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys. Comprehensive searches were performed for each country to determine the level of development of their PA surveillance, policy, and research, and the findings were verified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. Trends were analyzed based on the data available for both survey years. RESULTS: The global 5-year progress in all 3 indicators was modest, with most countries either improving or staying at the same level. PA surveillance, policy, and research improved or remained at a high level in 48.1%, 40.6%, and 42.1% of the countries, respectively. PA surveillance, policy, and research scores decreased or remained at a low level in 8.3%, 15.8%, and 28.6% of the countries, respectively. The highest capacity for PA promotion was found in Europe, the lowest in Africa and low- and lower-middle-income countries. Although a large percentage of the world's population benefit from at least some PA policy, surveillance, and research efforts in their countries, 49.6 million people are without PA surveillance, 629.4 million people are without PA policy, and 108.7 million live in countries without any PA research output. A total of 6.3 billion people or 88.2% of the world's population live in countries where PA promotion capacity should be significantly improved. CONCLUSION: Despite PA is essential for health, there are large inequalities between countries and world regions in their capacity to promote PA. Coordinated efforts are needed to reduce the inequalities and improve the global capacity for PA promotion.

Differences between Healthy-Weight and Overweight Serbian Preschool Children in Motor and Cognitive Abilities.

The aim of this study was to determine the differences between healthy-weight and overweight 5-6-year-old preschool children in fine and gross motor skills and cognitive abilities. There were 91 subjects, preschool children (41 boys and 50 girls), who participated in this cross-sectional study. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on measures of body height and body mass, and WHO cutoff points were used for the assessment of the children's nutrition status. Fine motor abilities were determined using two Bruininks-Oseretsky (BOT-2) subtests, and gross motor skills are determined by the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2), while cognitive abilities were tested by the School Maturity Test (TZS+). Based on an independent-samples t-test, a difference in two out of three variables of gross motor skills was determined: manipulative skills and total gross motor skills between healthy-weight and overweight children, while in fine motor abilities and cognitive abilities there was no difference between these two groups. Although significant differences were found only in gross motor skills between healthy and overweight preschool children but not in fine motor skills and cognitive abilities, further longitudinal studies are required to understand the mechanisms of this, including the possible role of psychological factors.

Correction: Grasgruber et al. Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe. Biology 2022, 11, 786.

Note: The authors apologize for the rather extensive text corrections [...].

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): modifiable determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents aged 5-19 years-a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5-19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) that investigate the effect of interventions on PAB/SB and longitudinal studies that investigate the associations between modifiable determinants and PAB/SB at multiple time points will be sought. Risk of bias assessments will be performed using adapted versions of Cochrane's RoB V.2.0 and ROBINS-I tools for RCTs and CTs, respectively, and an adapted version of the National Institute of Health's tool for longitudinal studies. Data will be synthesised narratively and, where possible, MAs will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Modifiable determinants will be discussed considering the settings in which they were investigated and the PAB/SB measurement methods used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval is needed as no primary data will be collected. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences where possible. The BESt will also be shared with policy makers within the DE-PASS consortium in the first instance. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: CRD42021282874.

Morphological Characteristics and Situational Precision of U15 and U16 Elite Male Players from Al-Ahli Handball Club (Bahrein).

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the differences in the morphological characteristics and situational precision among younger and older groups of handball players. The sample of participants consisted of 30 handball players, members of the younger category of the Al-Ahli handball club (Bahrein), divided into two groups: older (U16, n = 18) and younger (U15, n = 12). To evaluate their morphological characteristics, eight variables were measured, while two standardized tests were used to evaluate their situational precision. The results indicate that a statistically significant difference between the groups was noticeable for nine variables in total, seven in morphology (body height, p = 0.010; body mass index, p = 0.049; arm length, p = 0.009; upper arm length, p = 0.016; lower arm length, p = 0.040; the planimetric parameter of the hand, p = 0.005; hand length p = 0.004) and two in situational precision (the standing shot, p = 0.003; the jump shot, p = 0.17), and that the achieved difference ranges from a medium to a large effect. For only one variable (body mass, p = 0.734), significant difference was not determined between the groups. It was also determined (by Cohen's criterion) that handball players with higher longitudinal dimensionality achieve better results for specific precision. Therefore, when selecting young handball players, the aforementioned dimensions should be taken into consideration as predictors of success.

Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe.

The inhabitants of the Dinaric Alps (former Yugoslavia and Albania) have long been known as people of impressive body height, but after World War II, there was a critical lack of data related to this phenomenon. This anthropological synthesis includes the measurements of 47,158 individuals (24,642 males and 22,516 females) from the period 2010−2018 and describes detailed regional differences in male stature in the Western Balkans. According to these data, young men from Montenegro (182.9 cm) are currently the tallest 18-year-olds in the world, surpassing their Dutch peers (182.4 cm), and 18-year-old boys from Dalmatia are even taller (183.7 cm) at a regional level. A continuous belt of extraordinary height means (>184 cm) stretches from the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia through Herzegovina to the central part of Montenegro. This article summarizes all the key socio-economic, nutritional, and genetic data, and offers possible explanations for this anthropological phenomenon. Since the remarkable height of the Dinaric populations cannot be connected with any commonly known environmental factor, the most probable hypothesis is genetic and links these physical characteristics with the local founder effect of Y haplogroup I-M170. Furthermore, given that both the level of socio-economic development and dietary protein quality are still sub-optimal, the local upward trend in body height has the potential to continue in the future.

Effects of a 12-Weeks Yoga Intervention on Motor and Cognitive Abilities of Preschool Children.

Since early childhood is regarded as an important period of motor and cognitive development, understanding the effects of physical activity on motor abilites and cognitive development in preschool children has major public health implications. This study investigates the effects of a 12 weeks' yoga intervention program on motor and cognitive abilities in preschool children. Preschool children (n = 45; age 5-6 years) attending regular preschool programs were non-randomly assigned to yoga intervention (n = 23; 30 min sessions three times per week) or a control group (n = 22; no additional organized physical activity program). Exercise training for the intervention group included yoga program. Motor abilities (BOT-2 subtests: fine motor integration, manual dexterity, balance and bilateral coordination), and cognitive abilities (School Maturity Test subtests: visual memory, stacking cubes and codes) were assessed before and after the intervention period in both groups. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Participants in the intervention group improved fine motor integration (p = 0.022), fine motor skills in general (0.029), bilateral coordination (0.000), balance (0.000), and body coordination (0.000). Preschool children's participation in the preschool yoga intervention significantly improved their motor abilities, but not their cognitive abilities.

The Association Between Regular Physical Exercise, Sleep Patterns, Fasting, and Autophagy for Healthy Longevity and Well-Being: A Narrative Review.

This narrative review of the literature assessed whether regular physical exercise and sleep patterns, fasting and autophagy, altogether can be an adequate strategy for achieving healthy longevity and well-being within different stage of life. There are a large number of studies dealing with well-being and healthy longevity; however, few of them have given us a specific formula for how to live long and healthy. Despite all the advances that have been made to create adequate physical exercise programs, sleep patterns or nutritional protocols, the relation between different types of fasting, nutritional supplementation as well as regular physical exercise and sleep patterns have not yet been satisfactorily resolved to cause the best effects of autophagy and, therefore, well-being and healthy longevity. In this way, future studies should clarify more efficiently the relationship between these variables to understand the association between regular physical exercise, sleep patterns, fasting and autophagy for healthy longevity and well-being.

Body mass index and measures of body fat for defining obesity and underweight: a cross-sectional study of various specialties in Montenegrin police force / Índice de masa corporal y medidas de la grasa corporal para definir la obesidad y el bajo peso: un estudio transversal de diversas especialidades en la policía de Montenegro

SUMMARY: The Police force personnel cover an exceptionally wide range of different activities, so it is logical that this heterochronic group has different abilities and characteristics, including daily needs, while changes in body composition and decrease in physical abilities represent a modern issue that has not bypassed this population either. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the indicators of the body composition of the Police force personnel, as well as possible differences that might occur in relation to different specialized police units. The subjects of this Cross Sectional study included 115 active-duty male members of the Police force (31.54 ± 10.5 year-old), divided into four groups, belonging to different specialized units. The sample of variables included five anthropometric measures (body height, body weight, abdominal skinfold, pectoral skinfold and front thigh skinfold) by which two body composition indicators - body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (FAT %) were calculated. The variables were analysed by using the one-way ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc test. It has been determined that there are differences in body composition indicators between the members of different specialized units of the Police force, while overweight was noted among the members of the two subpopulations. This fact indicates that members of certain specialized units of the Montenegrin Police force have adverse nutritional status and the situation may be described as alarming, which may lead to decrease in their physical fitness and effectiveness in service.

RESUMEN: El personal de la fuerza policial cubre una amplia gama de actividades diferentes, por lo que es lógico que este grupo heterocrónico tenga diferentes habilidades y características, incluyendo las necesidades diarias, mientras que los cambios en la composición corporal y la disminución de las capacidades físicas representan un tema de actualidad que también es evidente en esta población. Por tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de la composición corporal del personal policial, así como las posibles diferencias que pudieran presentarse en relación a las distintas unidades policiales especializadas. Los sujetos de este es- tudio transversal incluyeron a 115 hombres en servicio activo de la policía (31,54 ± 10,5 años), divididos en cuatro grupos, pertenecientes a diferentes unidades especializadas. La muestra de variables incluyó cinco medidas antropométricas (altura corporal, peso corporal, pliegue cutáneo abdominal, pliegue cutáneo pectoral y pliegue cutáneo frontal del muslo) mediante las cuales se calcularon dos indicadores de composición corporal: índice de masa corporal (IMC) y porcentaje de grasa corporal (% FAT). Las variables se analizaron mediante ANOVA de una vía y la prueba LSD Post Hoc. Se determinó que existen diferencias en los indicadores de composición corporal entre los integrantes de las distintas unidades especializadas de la Policía, mientras que se observó sobrepeso entre los integrantes de las dos subpoblaciones. Este hecho indica que los miembros de determinadas unidades especializadas de la Policía de Montenegro tienen un estado nutricional adverso y la situación puede calificarse de alarmante, lo que puede llevar a una disminución de su aptitud física y eficacia en el servicio.

Effect of Functional Training on Physical Fitness Among Athletes: A Systematic Review.

There is evidence that functional training is beneficial for the overall physical fitness of athletes. However, there is a lack of a systematic review focused on the effects of functional training on athletes' physical fitness. Thus, the aimed of the present review is to clarify the effects of functional training on physical fitness among athletes. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) Statement guidelines, the systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), and CINAHL Plus databases was undertaken on the 2nd November 2020 to identify the reported studies, using a combination of keywords related to functional training, physical fitness, and athletes. From the 145 studies, only nine articles met all eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. The assessment was performed on the Pedro scale, and the quality of the study included in the nine studies was fair (ranging from 3 to 4). The results showed that speed (n = 6) was the aspect of physical fitness studied in functional training interventions, followed by muscular strength (n = 5), power (n = 4), balance (n = 3), body composition (n = 3), agility (n = 3), flexibility (n = 1) and muscular endurance (n = 1). Existing evidence concludes that functional training significantly impacts speed, muscular strength, power, balance, and agility. Furthermore, there are still limit numbers of evidence showing effect of functional training on flexibility and muscular endurance. In contrast, no significant improvement was found in body composition where functional training was conducted. Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD4202123092.

Trends in body height, body weight, BMI, and nutrition status from 1979 to 1987: a measurement-based analysis of 10, 954 male adolescents from the municipality of Bijelo Polje / Tendencias en la altura corporal, el peso corporal, el IMC y el estado nutricional de 1979 a 1987: un análisis basado en mediciones de 10. 954 adolescentes varones del municipio de Bijelo Polje

SUMMARY: This study aimed to consolidate data regarding body height, body weight, body mass index, and nutrition status of the entire young male population from the Municipality of Bijelo Polje in order to estimate trends from 1979 to 1987. The sample of respondents includes 10,954 young males divided into nine groups. The measurement sample includes body height, body weight, and body mass index based on two previous measures. The descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean and standard deviation for each variable, while the analysis of nutrition status was done based on body mass index (underweight, normal weight, pre-obese, obese). The results showed that a secular trend in the observed study period is not visible regarding body height, body weight, and body mass index. The contribution of this study is reflected in the fact that there were no previously published data for this period and this municipality; the data can significantly aid in monitoring the secular trends throughout Montenegro.

RESUMEN: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo consolidar los datos sobre la altura corporal, el peso corporal, índice de masa corporal y el estado nutricional de toda la población masculina joven del Municipio de Bijelo Polje con el fin de estimar las tendencias de 1979 a 1987. La muestra de encuestados incluyó 10.954 hombres jóvenes divididos en nueve grupos. Las mediciones incluyeron la altura corporal, el peso corporal y el índice de masa corporal basado en dos medidas anteriores. Las estadísticas descriptivas se expresaron como media y desviación estándar para cada variable, mientras que el análisis del estado nutricional se realizó con base en el índice de masa corporal (bajo peso, peso normal, pre-obesidad, obesidad). Los resultados mostraron que una tendencia secular en el período de estudio observado no es visible con respecto a la altura corporal, el peso corporal y el índice de masa corporal. La contribución de este estudio está basada en que no existían datos publicados previamente para este período y en este municipio; los datos pueden ayudar significativamente a monitorear las tendencias seculares en todo Montenegro.

Trajectories of Body Height, Body Weight, BMI, and Nutrition Status from 1979 to 1987: A Measurement-Based Analysis of 8740 Montenegrin Male Adolescents from the Municipality of Berane.

This study aimed to consolidate the body height, body weight, BMI, and nutrition status data of the overall young male population from the Municipality of Berane in order to assess the trajectories of those variables from 1979 to 1987. The sample of respondents included 8740 adolescents who were divided into nine groups according to their age. The sample of variables included body height, body weight, body mass index, and nutrition status, which were presented based on a long-established BMI categorization (underweight, normal weight, pre-obese, and obese). The descriptive statistics are expressed as the mean and standard deviation for each variable; the analysis of nutrition status was calculated based on BMI, while LSD post hoc testing with ANOVA was employed to investigate differences between the means. The results indicate that a secular trend is visible regarding body height and body weight, while no trend is visible for the BMI and nutrition status. This study's contribution is that it provides insight into more recently published data for the studied period and in this municipality, which can significantly aid in following the secular trend throughout Montenegro.