Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Secondary School Children Aged 14 to 18 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The main aim of this study is to examine age and gender differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among Serbian secondary school children. The secondary aim is to explore the association between CRF and quality of life in Serbian adolescents. The sample consisted of 579 adolescents (285 males), aged from 14 to 18 years old. To evaluate their anthropometric measurements, body height and body weight were examined, the 20 m shuttle run test was used to access CRF, and the standardized global measure of wellbeing KIDSCREEN was used to access the wellbeing of adolescents. The results show that the boys possessed higher CRF compared to the girls, as well as higher scores on variable distance, but there were no significant differences according to age. CRF was positively associated with physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, total score HRQL, body height and body weight, and negatively correlated with BMI. Conversely, physical wellbeing showed positive correlation with the other subscales of KIDSCREEN (psychological wellbeing, autonomy and parents, peers and social support, and school environment), and total score of (Health-Related Quality of Life) HRQL. The results showed that better CRF would be beneficial for quality of life among Serbian adolescents, especially among girls. Moreover, the relationship between CRF and BMI shows that adolescents with regular values of BMI have better physical fitness and wellbeing.

Dietary Patterns and Weight Status of Primary School Children in Serbia.

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine dietary patterns and the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Serbian children. Furthermore, the study analyzed the association between dietary patterns and weight status. A nationally representative sample of 6-9-year-old children (n = 3,067) was evaluated as part of the Fifth Round World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. The children's height and weight were measured by trained field examiners, while their parents or guardians filled paper versions of the food frequency questionnaire to collect information related to the child's breakfast habits and food and beverage intake. According to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points, the overall prevalence of overweight (including obesity) and underweight were 28.9 and 8.1%, respectively. The majority of parents reported that their children (84.5%) had breakfast every day, while only 39.5 and 37% of children had daily fruit and vegetable consumption, respectively. The children who do not eat breakfast every day are more likely to be obese (OR = 1.50), while a higher intake frequency of nutrient-poor beverages such as soft drinks increases the risk of being not only overweight (OR = 1.32) but also underweight (OR = 1.39). Regular monitoring and understanding of dietary patterns and weight status is crucial to inform, design, and implement strategies to reduce national and global diet and obesity-related diseases. Urgent actions need to be taken from public policymakers to stop and reverse the increasing trend of overweight (including obesity) among Serbian children.

Childhood Obesity in Serbia on the Rise.

The aim of the study was to examine changes in obesity prevalence among primary school children in Serbia between 2015 and 2019 rounds of the national WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI-Serbia). Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 2015 and 2019. The nationally representative samples of primary school children were measured for body height and weight, following the COSI protocol. Body Mass Index was calculated, and the IOTF and WHO definitions were used to classify children as overweight or obese. Participants were children of both sexes aged 7.00-8.99 years (n = 6105). Significant differences in overweight (obesity included) prevalence between two COSI rounds were identified regardless of definitions applied. According to the WHO definitions, prevalence of overweight and obesity combined increased in 7-9-year-old children in Serbia from 30.7% in 2015 to 34.8% in 2019 (z = -3.309, p < 0.05), and according to the IOTF standards, the increase from 22.8% to 30% was registered (z = -6.08, p = 0.00). The childhood overweight/obesity rate is increasing in Serbia, which places monitoring and surveillance of children's nutritional status high on the public health agenda.