Pedagogical control scales of vertical jumping performance in untrained adolescents (13-16 years): research by strata.

Background: A scale is used to establish performance ranges in different sciences, it being necessary to design specialized biological and pedagogical indicators in physical activity, sport and health. Objective: To design a scale for the pedagogical control of the vertical jumping ability in untrained adolescents (13-16 years), stratifying the sample by age range, ethnicity, urban and rural area, socioeconomic level, and gender. Methods: A representative sample of the Ecuadorian population (n = 3,705) is studied, classifying it into the aforementioned strata, controlling the vertical jump by ISAK I and II level experts, applying the Sargent Test to measure vertical jumps on a multi-force wall, establishing scales with seven percentile levels, and making comparisons related to chronological age, gender, socioeconomic, and genetic indicators. Results: Significant differences in the vertical jumping performance were determined according to the category or age range (13-14 ≠ 15-16 years) and by gender (w = 0.000). Various levels of performance were determined, classifying the maximum level as talented in the female gender (≥40 cm; and ≥42 cm) and male gender (≥47 cm; and ≥57 cm) in the 13‒14 and 15‒16 years categories, respectively. Sampling comparisons by geographical area only determined significant differences in the male gender, with the jumping ability being higher in urban areas (13‒14 years: w = 0.046; 15‒16 years: w = 0.013). The comparison by ethnic groups showed significant differences (k = 0.030), favoring the Afro-Ecuadorian ethnic group in both genders, while there are significant differences by socioeconomic level, especially between the middle and lower classes. Conclusions: The present research solves the lack of a tool for making correct didactic decisions related to the vertical jumping ability, taking into account various important stratified indicators. The complementary conclusions show significant differences according to the category stratum or age range, the gender stratum, and the ethnic stratum in females and males, where the best average rank favored the Afro-Ecuadorian ethnic group in both genders. There are significant differences in the geographical area stratum in the male gender, and differences in the socioeconomic stratum in favor of the upper and middle classes.

Los programas de actividad física para combatir la obesidad y el sobrepeso en adolescentes

La obesidad y el sobrepeso son dos de los problemas de salud más acuciantes en la sociedad actual, y están aumentando hasta niveles preocupantes en los adolescentes. La actividad física es una de las herramientas que se pueden utilizar para mejorar la situación. Diversos países han puesto en marcha programas, en los que la actividad física juega un papel primordial, con el objetivo de reducir el porcentaje de grasa corporal en los jóvenes. En este trabajo se realiza una revisión bibliográfica de los estudios que analizan esos programas.

Obesity and overweight are two of the most pressing health problems in today's society, and those are increasing to worrying levels in adolescents. Physical activity is one of the tools that can be used to improve the situation. Several countries have launched programs in which physical activity plays a key role, with the aim of reducing the percentage of body fat in young people. In this work, a bibliographic review of the studies that analyze these programs is carried out.

El dolor lumbar en jóvenes / Lumbar pain in young people

El dolor lumbar es, entre los de espalda, el más común. Las cifras de prevalencia en adolescentes lo convierten en un grave problema de salud pública. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una revisión bibliográfica del tema del dolor lumbar en la adolescencia, haciendo hincapié en las cifras de prevalencia por países, sus causas y los factores de riesgo asociados a él. Los resultados muestran que existen ciertas causas y factores de riesgo asociados al dolor lumbar en los que existe acuerdo (el sexo, la herencia genética, la inactividad física o la postura sedente y el mobiliario inadecuado) mientras que en otros, los diversos autores llegan a resultados diferentes. En conclusión, se puede afirmar que el dolor lumbar en adolescentes es una enfermedad de alta prevalencia, más frecuente en mujeres y en personas sedentarias, que predispone para sufrirlo en la edad adulta.

Low back pain is the most common among back pain. Prevalence figures in adolescents make it a serious public health problem. The objective of this study is to carry out a bibliographic review of the topic of low back pain in adolescence, with emphasis on the prevalence figures by country, their causes and the risk factors associated with it. The results show that there are causes and risk factors associated with low back pain in which there is agreement (gender, genetic inheritance, physical inactivity or sedentary posture and inappropriate furniture), while in others, the various authors reach different results. In conclusion, it can be affirmed that low back pain is a disease of high prevalence, more frequent in women and in sedentary people, predisposing to suffer it in adulthood.

Validation of a dumbbell body sway test in olympic air pistol shooting.

We present and validate a test able to provide reliable body sway measurements in air pistol shooting, without the use of a gun. 46 senior male pistol shooters who participated in Spanish air pistol championships participated in the study. Body sway data of two static bipodal balance tests have been compared: during the first test, shooting was simulated by use of a dumbbell, while during the second test the shooters own pistol was used. Both tests were performed the day previous to the competition, during the official training time and at the training stands to simulate competition conditions. The participants performance was determined as the total score of 60 shots at competition. Apart from the commonly used variables that refer to movements of the shooters centre of pressure (COP), such as COP displacements on the X and Y axes, maximum and average COP velocities and total COP area, the present analysis also included variables that provide information regarding the axes of the COP ellipse (length and angle in respect to X). A strong statistically significant correlation between the two tests was found (with an interclass correlation varying between 0.59 and 0.92). A statistically significant inverse linear correlation was also found between performance and COP movements. The study concludes that dumbbell tests are perfectly valid for measuring body sway by simulating pistol shooting.