ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: childhood obesity is a worldwide chief health problem. Along with body mass index, body fat percentile values can also be used to predict future cardiovascular and metabolic health risks. OBJECTIVE: the study's aim is to define the percentile values and curves about the fat tissue percentage through which the childhood and adolescent overweight/obesity in the Republic of North Macedonia will be diagnosed. METHODS: the research was conducted on a sample of 15,075 children and adolescents aged six to 14 years (7,627 boys and 7,448 girls). Body fat percentage was established by bioelectrical impedance. The LMS method was used in percentile values and curves' construction. RESULTS: the boys' 50th percentile curve shows that the body fat percentage average value has a slight growth from seven to ten years of age, but after their 10th it begins to drop continuously until the age of 14 years. At the same time, the girls' body fat percentage average value increases continuously from six to 14 years of age. CONCLUSION: since body mass index cannot always establish body fat content, the direct assessment of body fat by bioelectrical impedance would be of great advantage for pediatric and clinical decisions. Therefore, the study provides referent percentile norms for the body fat percentage of healthy Macedonian children and adolescents. For this purpose, a practical and clinically applicable method was used. The obtained referent percentile norms can be useful in assessing overweight and obesity in Macedonian children and adolescents.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: physical fitness is a powerfull indicator of the health coindition in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This research is performed in order to determine the age and gender stratified reference values for healthy physical fitness for Macodonian children and adolescents and to identify signicicant gender differences. METHODS: a descriptive cross-sectional and population-based study examined the physical fitness among a random and large national representative sample of schoolchildren aged six to 14 years in Macedonia. A sample of 9,241 children and adolescents (4,716 boys and 4,525 girls) was assessed by the EUROFIT fitness test battery. The LMS statistical method was used. RESULTS: smoothed gender and age-specific percentiles for the physical fitness tests in boys and girls aged six to 14 years are reported and expressed as both tabulated and curves values (P5, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90, P95). Figures showed greater physical fitness levels in boys, except for the sit-and-reach test, in which girls performed slightly better. There was also a trend towards increased physical fitness levels as the age increased in both boys and girls. CONCLUSION: the percentile values provided will enable the correct interpretation and monitoring of fitness status of Macedonion children.
