Relationship Between Anthropometric Indices of Obesity and Physical Condition in Schoolchildren Aged 9 to 14 Years From the Valparaíso Region, Chile

The objectives of this study were 1) to describe anthropometric factors associated with obesity and physical fitness tests and 2) to determine the correlation between these variables in a group of schoolchildren from the Valparaiso region. A total of 109 schoolchildren divided by sex and age groups participated. The schoolchildren were divided into two groups between 9 to 11 years (24 males = 47,98 +/- 10,4 kg; 145,73 +/- 7,3cm; 25 females = 45,06 +/- 11,1 kg; 145,30 +/- 6,6 cm) and between12 to 14 years (24 males = 54,85 +/- 13,2 kg; 158,42 +/- 8,8 cm; 36females = 52,21 +/- 9,1 kg; 155,36 +/- 6,1 cm). Physical fitness assessments used by the Sistema de Medicion de la Calidad de la Educacion (SIMCE) evaluation process for physical education for Chilean schoolchildren were performed. These assessments included flexibility, sprint capacity, horizontal jump, and muscular endurance parameters. In addition, anthropometric variables such as weight, height and waist circumference were evaluated to establish anthropometric indices of obesity such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-height index (WHI). Significant differences were found between the groups of men in the different age groups in the physical fitness tests, abdominal muscular endurance (p = 0.001), horizontal jump (p = 0.002), sprint test (p = 0.003) and the anthropometric index BMI (p = 0.048). Among the female groups, significant differences were only found in the physical condition variables, horizontal jump (p = 0.002) and sprint (p = 0.003). In both males and females in the 9-to 11 year-old group, significant correlations were found between anthropometric variables and tests of horizontal jumping and sprint ability (p = 0.03, r =-0.42 0.83, moderate to very high). In this same group, only females presented a significant correlation between anthropometric parameters and muscular endurance tests in elbow flexion (p < 0.05, r =-0.42 -0.52,moderate to high) and abdominals (p < 0.05, r =-0.57 -0.60,high). For the group between 12 and 14 years, negative correlations were obtained between WHI and the sprint test in males (p < 0.016, r =-0.48, moderate), WC and the sprint test in females (p < 0.011, r =-0.41, moderate). Only in women was it possible to find significant correlations between WC, BMI and ICE with a horizontal jump (p < 0.05, r = 0.38 0.48, moderate). The results suggest a negative correlation between anthropometric parameters of excess body weight and performance on physical tests, with women in the older age group presenting the highest number of significant correlations between variables. These data reinforce the importance of including integral approaches in physical education classes that consider active and healthy lifestyles together with the promotion of physical activity.