Advertisement
Original paper| Volume 13, ISSUE 3, P323-328, May 2010

Motor fitness in Dutch youth: Differences over a 26-year period (1980–2006)

Published:September 30, 2009DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2009.04.006

      Abstract

      This study aimed to compare neuromotor fitness test scores of 9–12-year-old Dutch youth in 2006 with scores of same aged children in 1980. Body height, body weight and performance on neuromotor fitness test items were measured in 2050 Dutch children from 9 to 12 years in 2006 and were compared with data of 2603 same aged Dutch children measured in 1980 with the same neuromotor fitness test battery. Dutch 9–12 year olds in 2006 were significantly taller and heavier than their peers in 1980. Age- and sex-specific performance on almost all neuromotor fitness test items was significantly worse in 2006. Thus, our data suggest that neuromotor fitness of Dutch youth has significantly decreased over the past 26 years.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Kim J.
        • Must A.
        • Fitzmaurice G.M.
        • Gillman M.W.
        • Chomitz V.
        • Kramer E.
        • et al.
        Relationship of physical fitness to prevalence and incidence of overweight among schoolchildren.
        Obes Res. 2005; 13: 1246-1254
        • Bouziotas C.
        • Koutedakis Y.
        • Nevill A.
        • Ageli E.
        • Tsigilis N.
        • Nikolaou A.
        • et al.
        Greek adolescents, fitness, fatness, fat intake, activity, and coronary heart disease risk.
        Arch Dis Child. 2004; 89: 41-44
        • Rowlands A.V.
        • Eston R.G.
        • Ingledew D.K.
        Relationship between activity levels, aerobic fitness, and body fat in 8- to 10-yr-old children.
        J Appl Physiol. 1999; 86: 1428-1435
        • Buchheit M.
        • Platat C.
        • Oujaa M.
        • Simon C.
        Habitual physical activity, physical fitness and heart rate variability in preadolescents.
        Int J Sports Med. 2007; 28: 204-210
        • Hofman A.
        • Walter H.J.
        The association between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in children in a five-year follow-up study.
        Int J Epidemiol. 1989; 18: 830-835
        • Thomas N.E.
        • Baker J.S.
        • Davies B.
        Established and recently identified coronary heart disease risk factors in young people: the influence of physical activity and physical fitness.
        Sports Med. 2003; 33: 633-650
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        • Olds T.S.
        Secular changes in pediatric aerobic fitness test performance: the global picture.
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 46-66
        • Matton L.
        • Duvigneaud N.
        • Wijndaele K.
        • Philippaerts R.
        • Duquet W.
        • Beunen G.
        • et al.
        Secular trends in anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness, physical activity, and biological maturation in Flemish adolescents between 1969 and 2005.
        Am J Hum Biol. 2007; 19: 345-357
        • Strong W.B.
        Physical activity and children.
        Circulation. 1990; 81: 1697-1701
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        • Olds T.S.
        Secular changes in aerobic fitness test performance of Australasian children and adolescents.
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 168-182
        • Malina R.M.
        Physical fitness of children and adolescents in the United States: status and secular change.
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 67-90
        • Jurimae T.
        • Volbekiene V.
        • Jurimae J.
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        Changes in Eurofit test performance of Estonian and Lithuanian children and adolescents (1992–2002).
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 129-142
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        Global changes in anaerobic fitness test performance of children and adolescents (1958–2003).
        Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2007; 17: 497-507
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        • Hamlin A.J.
        • Olds T.S.
        Secular changes in anaerobic test performance on Australasian children and adolescents.
        Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2006; 18: 314-328
        • Malina R.M.
        Tracking of physical fitness and performance during growth.
        in: Buenen G. Hesquiere J.G. Reybrouck T. Claessens A.L. Children and exercise. Ferdinand Enke, Stuttgart, Germany1990: 1-10
        • Barnett L.M.
        • van Beurden E.
        • Morgan P.J.
        • Brooks L.O.
        • Beard J.R.
        Does childhood motor skill proficiency predict adolescent fitness?.
        Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40: 2137-2144
        • Armstrong N.
        • Welsman J.R.
        Young people and physical activity.
        Oxford University Press, Oxford1997 (p. 99–102)
        • Macfarlane D.J.
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        Evolution and variability in fitness test performance of Asian children and adolescents.
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 143-167
        • Olds T.S.
        • Ridley K.
        • Tomkinson G.R.
        Declines in aerobic fitness: are they only due to increasing fatness?.
        Med Sport Sci. 2007; 50: 226-240
      1. Leyten C. De MOPER fitheidtest, onderzoeksverslag 9 t/m 11 jarigen [The MOPER fitness test, research paper 9 to 11 year olds]. Haarlem: De Vrieseborch; 1982. p. 78–83.

      2. Collard DCM, Chin A Paw MJM, van Mechelen W, Verhagen EALM. Design of the iPlay-study: ystematic development of a physical activity injury prevention program for primary school children. Sports Med 2009, in press, 39:12.

        • Kemper H.C.
        • Verschuur R.
        Moper fitness test, lichamelijke prestatiegeschiktheidstest voor lichamelijke opvoeding [Moper fitness test, physical capability for physical education].
        De lichamelijke opvoeding [Phys Educ]. 1977; 65: 541-547
        • Bovend’eerdt J.H.F.
        • Bernink M.J.E.
        • van Hijfte T.
        • Ritmeester J.W.
        • Kemper H.C.G.
        • Verschuur R.
        De MOPER fitness test.
        De Vrieseborch, Haarlem1980 (p. 67–68)
        • Cole T.J.
        • Bellizzi M.C.
        • Flegal K.M.
        • Dietz W.H.
        Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey.
        Br Med J. 2000; 320: 1240-1243
        • Hirasing R.A.
        • Fredriks A.M.
        • van Buuren S.
        • Verloove-Vanhorick S.P.
        • Wit J.M.
        Toegenomen prevalentie van overgewicht en obesitas bij Nederlandse kinderen en de signalering daarvan aan de hand van internationale normen en nieuwe referentiediagrammen [Increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in Dutch children, and the detection of overweight and obesity using international criteria and new reference diagrams].
        Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd [Dutch J Med Sci]. 2001; 145: 1303-1308
      3. van den Hurk K, van Dommelen P, de Wilde JA, Verkerk PH, van Buuren S, HiraSing RA. Prevalentie van overgewicht en obesitas bij jeugdigen 4-15 jaar in de periode 2002-2004 [Prevalence of overweight and obesity in 4 to 15 year olds in the period 2002-2004]. TNO Quality of Life; 2006.

        • Dollman J.
        • Olds T.
        • Norton K.
        • Stuart D.
        The evolution of fitness and fatness in 10–11-year-old Australian schoolchildren: changes in distributional characteristics between 1985 and 1997.
        Ped Exerc Sci. 1999; 11: 108-121
        • Huang Y.C.
        • Malina R.M.
        BMI and health-related physical fitness in Taiwanese youth 9–18 years.
        Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 39: 701-708
        • Jones M.A.
        • Hitchen P.J.
        • Stratton G.
        The importance of considering biological maturity when assessing physical fitness measures in girls and boys aged 10 to 16 years.
        Ann Hum Biol. 2000; 27: 57-65
        • Kemper H.C.
        • van Mechelen W.
        Physical fitness testing of children: a European perspective.
        Ped Exerc Sci. 1996; 8: 201-214