AHA: 60% of US Children Have Unhealthy Cardiorespiratory Fitness
According to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, nearly 60% of children in the United States do not have healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).
The purpose of the statement, according to the authors, is to review methods of assessing CRF, factors that influence CRF, how CRF impacts health in otherwise healthy children, and trends in CRF in the United States and around the world.
While many factors contribute to declining CRF among US children, less physical activity and more sedentary time are some of the most significant, the authors wrote. Lower socioeconomic status also plays a significant role in the likelihood of low CRF, whether due to a lack of access to physical activities or difficulty in obtaining healthy foods.
The statement highlights the cardiopulmonary exercise test is the most accurate measure of CRF in children. Other tests include step tests, 6-minute walk tests, and the PWC170. However, many pediatric health care professionals are unable to administer these tests due to a lack of time, space, or available personnel, the authors noted.
Schools are suggested as a potential resource for CRF measurement, as many already administer the 20-meter Shuttle Run and measure body mass index, weight, abdominal strength, upper body strength, and flexibility through the Fitness Gram tests.
“Our hope is that this statement will also inspire research into finding valid, lower-cost alternative options for traditional cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess CRF in all children, and improved CRF tests that can be done in an office with limited space and without the need for formally trained exercise physiology personnel,” the researchers said in an accompanying press release.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
- Raghuveer G, Hartz J, Lubans DR, et al; the American Heart Association. Cardiorespiratory fitness in youth: an important marker of health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Published online July 20, 2020. Circulation. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000866
- Nearly 60% of American children lack healthy cardiorespiratory fitness. News release. American Heart Association; July 20, 2020. Accessed July 23, 2020. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/nearly-60-of-american-children-lack-healthy-cardiorespiratory-fitness?preview=9a67