Global Comparisons of Age, Gender and Socioeconomic Status Differences of Physical Fitness Health Risk in South African Primary School Children: Longitudinal Data from the NW-CHILD Study

Xonné Muller; Anita E Pienaar; Barry Gerber; Colin N Moran; Naomi E Brooks

doi:10.3390/ijerph21121554

Global Comparisons of Age, Gender and Socioeconomic Status Differences of Physical Fitness Health Risk in South African Primary School Children: Longitudinal Data from the NW-CHILD Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Nov 25;21(12):1554. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21121554.

Authors

Xonné Muller^{1

2

3}, Anita E Pienaar¹, Barry Gerber¹, Colin N Moran³, Naomi E Brooks^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Focus Area, Faculty of Health Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
² Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa.
³ Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Scotland FK9 4LA, UK.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN 46135-0037, USA.

Abstract

Global physical fitness (PF) levels have declined over the past 50 years, contributing to early health risks in children although it is still unclear how age, gender and socioeconomic status (SES) impact PF risk. This study aimed to identify unique health risks related to age, SES and gender that might influence muscular fitness (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels of primary school children in South Africa. Children (N = 349, boys = 165; girls = 184) of low (n = 201) and high SES (n = 148) underwent three time point measurements at 6, 9 and 12 years spanning seven primary school years. MF was assessed with the strength sub-test of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) and CRF with a 20 m shuttle run. Relationships between biographical data, anthropometric data and PF were analysed using mixed linear regression models. After controlling for covariates, findings from unadjusted interaction models were used, revealing significant (p < 0.05) two-way age and SES interactions in standing long jump (SLJ), push-ups, wall-sit, sit-ups and VO₂max and age and gender interactions (p < 0.001) in sit-ups, push-ups and VO₂max. Universal cut-points are considered valid monitoring guidelines of PF risk in South African school children. For comparison, standardised global protocols for sit-ups and push-ups should be prioritised and intervention strategies should focus on improving PF in girls, older children from the age of 9 and children from low SES backgrounds.

Keywords: aerobic capacity; cardiorespiratory fitness; criterion reference standards; health risk factors; muscular fitness; muscular strength; physical fitness; primary school children.

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Cardiorespiratory Fitness / physiology
Child
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Physical Fitness* / physiology
Sex Factors
Social Class*
South Africa

Grants and funding

The Medical Research Council of South Africa (MRC), South African Sugar Association (SASA) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded this research project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations emanating from the research are those of the authors and therefore the MRC, NRF and SASA do not accept any responsibility or liability.