Normative health-related fitness values for French children: The Diagnoform Programme

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Public Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Establishing normative physical fitness data is crucial for assessing child health.
• Previous studies have not comprehensively addressed sex- and age-specific fitness percentiles in French children.
• Understanding variations in physical fitness across demographics is essential for targeted health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish sex- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles for French children aged 6-11 years.
• To analyze differences in physical fitness based on sex, weight status, and age.
• To provide reference values for identifying children needing specialized intervention programs.

Main Methods:

• A large national sample of 31,484 children (6-11 years) participated in the Diagnoform program.
• Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility, and agility were assessed.
• Parametric methods were used to estimate percentile curves stratified by sex and age, with adjustments for weight status.

Main Results:

• Boys generally exhibited slightly better physical fitness, except in agility and flexibility where girls excelled.
• All fitness components showed significant associations with age.
• Overweight and obese children demonstrated significantly poorer physical fitness compared to normal-weight peers.

Conclusions:

• The study provides essential sex- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles for French children.
• Findings highlight the impact of sex, age, and weight status on physical fitness levels.
• These normative data are vital for identifying children with special needs and guiding intervention strategies.