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Physical Fitness Cut-Points for Early Detection of Obesity Risk in Preschool Children
Maria Herrada-Robles1, Idoia Labayen2,3, José Castro-Piñero4
1Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Science, Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Insights
This study established physical fitness cut-points for preschool children to identify obesity risk. These benchmarks help in early detection of general and central obesity in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Early identification of obesity risk is crucial for timely intervention.
- Standardized fitness assessments can aid in risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish age- and sex-specific cut-points for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility in preschoolers.
- To evaluate the ability of these fitness parameters to detect general and central obesity risk.
- To provide tools for early identification of obesity risk in young children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 3179 Spanish preschoolers (aged 3-5 years).
- Physical fitness assessed using the PREFIT battery.
- Anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference) and obesity risk defined by WHO/IDF criteria.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis used to determine fitness cut-points.
Main Results:
- Established age- and sex-specific cut-points for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility.
- Cardiorespiratory fitness cut-points varied (e.g., 6.5-23.5 laps).
- Muscular strength cut-points ranged from z-scores of -1.6 to 2.2.
- Speed-agility cut-points ranged from 14.9 to 21.5 seconds.
- Predictive accuracy for obesity risk was moderate to high (AUC 0.49-0.80).
Conclusions:
- The study successfully established fitness cut-points for identifying general and central obesity risk in preschoolers.
- These cut-points can serve as valuable tools for health professionals.
- Integrating physical fitness assessments into routine health monitoring can facilitate early obesity risk detection.
Objective:
This study aimed to establish cut-points for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility and to evaluate their ability to detect general and central obesity risk in preschool children aged 3-5 years.
Methods:
Briefly, 3179 Spanish preschoolers (52.8% boys) were evaluated. Physical fitness was assessed with the PREFIT battery. Anthropometry included BMI and waist circumference. Obesity risk was defined using age- and sex-specific percentiles according to criteria established by the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Foundation. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to identify fitness cut-points.
Results:
Age- and sex-specific cut-points were established. For cardiorespiratory fitness, cut-points ranged from 9.5 to 23.5 laps in boys and 6.5 to 21.5 in girls across the 3- to 5-year age range. Muscular strength cut-points ranged from z-scores of -1.5 to 2.2 in boys and -1.6 to 1.9 in girls. Speed-agility cut-points ranged from 18.8 to 14.9 s in boys and 19.9 to 15.3 s in girls. Predictive accuracy was moderate-to-high (AUC range: 0.61-0.74 for cardiorespiratory fitness, 0.59-0.80 for strength, 0.49-0.71 for speed-agility).
Conclusions:
This study provides fitness cut-points for detecting general and central obesity risk in preschoolers. Early integration of physical fitness assessments into health monitoring may facilitate early identification of obesity risk.
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