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Four classes of physical fitness in German children and adolescents: only differences in performance or at-risk groups?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

Regarding children’s and adolescents’ development of physical fitness (PF), information about whether there are different performance classes in PF would potentially be helpful. If such classes also differ in related health parameters, this might indicate ‘at-risk’ groups requiring different support measures.

Methods

Factor mixture modeling was used to investigate whether participants of the German “Motorik”-Module (2003–2006) aged 6–17 years (N = 4,529) differ in their PF as described by endurance, strength, coordination, and flexibility.

Results

Four different classes of PF emerged after controlling for age and gender. Participants in classes 1 and 2 either performed well in all coordination or in all strength tests. Participants in class 3 and class 4 performed poorly in all coordination and in the push up (strength) tasks. Only participants in class 4 revealed significantly higher BMI values and less physical activity suggesting they are, in fact, an ‘at-risk’ group.

Conclusions

Different support measures are needed to enable adequate development. There might be a risk group demonstrating comparably low coordination that cannot be spotted by looking at BMI or activity level.

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Notes

  1. The KiGGS survey was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the years 2002–2006.

  2. The MoMo study is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Adolescents (BMFSFJ) from the years 2002 to 2008.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the years 2002–2006 and by the Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Adolescents from the years 2002 to 2008.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical standard

The study has been carried out according to the ethical guidelines laid down by the medical ethics committee.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sports Psychology, Technische Universität München, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62, 80992, Munich, Germany

    Lena Lämmle

  2. Psychological Assessment, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Matthias Ziegler

  3. Department for Strength-oriented and Technical-acrobatical Sports, Institute for Applied Training Science Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Ilka Seidel

  4. Institute for Movement and Sport, Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Annette Worth

  5. Institute of Sport and Sports Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Klaus Bös

Authors
  1. Lena Lämmle
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  2. Matthias Ziegler
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  3. Ilka Seidel
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  4. Annette Worth
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  5. Klaus Bös
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Correspondence to Lena Lämmle.

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Lämmle, L., Ziegler, M., Seidel, I. et al. Four classes of physical fitness in German children and adolescents: only differences in performance or at-risk groups?. Int J Public Health 58, 187–196 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0427-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0427-0

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