ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This work has been carried out as a cooperation project between University and High School Departments. Its objective was to evaluate the nutritional and physical status and eating habits in an urban adolescent population of Madrid. The study presents data about anthropometrical analyses and physical performance. SAMPLE AND METHODS: The sample analyzed was composed of 183 males and 222 females between 14 and 18 years of age. The nutritional status was analyzed by means of stature, weight, skinfold thickness and arm circumference, body mass index (BMI), and lean, fat and total upper arm areas. For physical fitness analysis, the EUROFIT battery was used (plate tapping, trunk and arm flexion, 10 x 5 run, horizontal jump, abdominals in 30 seconds and manual dynamometry). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness, the analyzed population is slightly above the reference standard, mainly in the youngest age studied. Percentage of obese subjects was 14.7% in males and 5.8% in females. In regard to physical fitness, the males surpassed the 50th percentile of the EUROFIT battery in almost all of the trials. The average in the female subjects was slightly inferior to the reference standards.
