Physical fitness reference standards in Italian children

Physical fitness in childhood is considered a marker of current and future health. For this reason, there is a need for a simple but reliable test to assess the different components of physical fitness even at school during physical education lessons. However, standard values are required to correctly interpret the results of such tests. Hence, this study aimed to generate sex- and age-specific normative percentile values for health-related physical fitness in Italian children. To this aim, 30,472 children aged 6-11 years from the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region (Italy) were examined. The fitness test battery included the Leger test (cardiorespiratory), the shuttle test (agility), standing long jumps, frontal throws of a basketball (lower and upper limb strength), the sit-and-reach test (flexibility), and the standing balance test. Sex- and age-percentile curves were determined using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Conclusion: The reference standards are provided as 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th, and 99th percentiles in the form of both tables and charts and are roughly comparable with those of other European children.

Automated summary

This study aimed to generate sex- and age-specific normative percentile values for health-related physical fitness in Italian children. By examining 30,472 children aged 6-11 years, sex- and age-percentile curves for different fitness tests were determined using the GAMLSS model, with reference standards provided in tables and charts.