Reliability of health-related physical fitness tests in adolescents: the MOVE Program.

The aim was to examine the reliability of health-related physical fitness tests that were used in a French health promotion program 'Move…A priority for your health'. Participants were 174 French youth (88 children and 86 adolescents) aged 8·2-16·2 years. Aerobic fitness, muscular strength, speed and flexibility were tested using 20-m shuttle run test, ½ mile run test, basketball throw, standing long jump, shoulder stretch and 20/30/50-m sprint tests. Reliability was calculated for the basketball throw, standing long jump, shoulder stretch and sprint tests. The tests were performed two times, 1 week apart on the same day of the week. Reliability was examined with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analysis. With the exception of the ½ mile run test, which resulted in moderate agreement (0·66), all tests had high reliability. ICCs were 0·97, 0·93, 0·91 and 0·93 for the sprint test, basketball throw, shoulder stretch and the standing long jump, respectively. The differences obtained between the first and the second trial were non-significant. Results from this study indicate that the BOUGE health-related physical fitness battery, administrated by physical education teachers, was reliable for measuring health-related components of fitness in children and adolescents in a school setting.

Physical fitness levels of adolescents in the Ile de France region: comparisons with European standards and relevance for future cardiovascular risk.

The aim was to assess physical fitness in French schoolchildren in the region of Ile de France and to compare the results with European countries. The relationship between physical fitness and future health profile was of particular interest. Participants were 1851 French youth in the Ile de France region. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility and speed agility were tested. Independent t-tests were used to compare differences between different variables. Spearman's rho correlation coefficients assessed the relationship between body mass index, socio-economic status and physical fitness. Boys were physically fitter than girls with the most significant difference being in agility. Subjects of normal weight have significantly better results than overweight or obese adolescents (+10·9% to 56·1%) (P<0·05). Subjects with high socio-economic status had better physical fitness than those with low socio-economic status (+0·5% to 9·4%) (P<0·05). Results also showed that the percentage of adolescents at increased future cardiovascular risk was 15·3% and 10·2% for boys and girls, respectively. Physical fitness in French schoolchildren living in the region of Ile de France is relatively low and unfavourable, especially in girls, when compared with existing European test results. In contrast, the adolescent boys are generally fitter and also above the average of the European data. Introducing a health promotion curriculum in the schools of Ile de France is suggested to improve health and physical fitness.

«Bouge ta santé à Clichy-sous-Bois¼: Cross-sectoral Approach to Physical Activity / « Bouge ta santé à Clichy-sous-Bois ¼ : une approche intersectorielle de l'activité physique.

Introduction: Based on the ICAPS approach, funded by the Regional Health Agency of Île-de-France and the Mutualité Française Île-de-France, a programme to promote the health benefits of physical activity has been conducted since 2012 in Clichy-sous-Bois, a town with major health inequalities. The objective was to implement intersectoral local projects designed to encourage physical activity among young people.Method: An initial assessment identified the lack of collaboration between sport, social, education and health stakeholders. Seven priority work areas were highlighted: creation of municipal synergy, training of local actors in the implementation of "Physical Activity and Health" joint projects, creation of local courses to identify / inform / advise and guide residents towards adapted physical activities, implementation of programmes combining physical activity and a balanced diet in primary and secondary schools, community centres and municipal school sports.Results: Regular meetings between local partners/actors facilitate the implementation of many projects that meet the expectations/needs of residents and professionals. For example, in a community centre, women and children learned to ride a bike, mediators passed a diploma to supervise groups, outings were organized and the planning authority/department decided to study the feasibility of building cycle paths.Conclusion: The sharing of ideas and local resources constitutes a lever to encourage physical activity and reduces social inequalities in health. A partnership culture between sport, social, education and health structures must be developed in order to integrate physical activity as one of the Local Health Contract's priorities.