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Recommended levels and intensities of physical activity to avoid low‐cardiorespiratory fitness in European adolescents: The HELENA study
Author(s) -
MartinezGomez David,
Ruiz Jonatan R.,
Ortega Francisco B.,
Casajús Jose A.,
Veiga Oscar L.,
Widhalm Kurt,
Manios Yannis,
Béghin Laurent,
GonzálezGross Marcela,
Kafatos Anthony,
EspañaRomero Vanesa,
Molnar Denes,
Moreno Luis A.,
Marcos Ascension,
Castillo Manuel J.,
Sjöström Michael
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.21076
Subject(s) - cardiorespiratory fitness , hum , medicine , physical activity , physical therapy , demography , art , sociology , performance art , art history
Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the sex‐specific physical activity (PA) intensity thresholds that best discriminate between unhealthy/healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Methods: Participants included 1,808 adolescents (964 girls), aged 12.5–17.5 years, from the HELENA study. We measured PA by accelerometer and calculated the time spent at light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate‐to‐vigorous (MVPA) intensities. CRF was assessed by the 20‐m shuttle‐run test. Adolescents were dichotomized (unhealthy/healthy) based on sex‐ and age‐specific FITNESSGRAM standards. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine thresholds that best discriminate between CRF categories. Results: ROC analyses revealed that the PA thresholds that best discriminate between unhealthy/healthy CRF were ≥152, ≥33, ≥13, and ≥52 min/day in light, moderate, vigorous, and MVPA, respectively. In boys, the PA thresholds associated with a healthy CRF were ≥37, ≥19, and ≥56 min/day in moderate, vigorous, and MVPA, respectively, whereas in girls were ≥152, ≥34, ≥12, and ≥51 min/day in light, moderate, vigorous, and MVPA, respectively. Spending at least 60 min/day in MVPA was also associated with a healthy CRF (odds ratios: 1.75, 1.94, and 1.57, all P < 0.05, for the whole sample, boys, and girls, respectively). Conclusions: This study shows sex‐ and intensity‐specific PA thresholds to discriminate between adolescents with a healthy CRF from those with a less favorable or unhealthy CRF level. Journal of Hospital Medicine. Society of Hospital Medicine. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.