Browsing by Author "Stasinopoulos, Mikis"
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- Biological and environmental determinants of 12-minute run performance in youthPublication . Freitas, Duarte; Maia, José; Stasinopoulos, Mikis; Gouveia, Élvio Rúbio; Antunes, António M.; Thomis, Martine; Lefevre, Johan; Claessens, Albrecht; Hedeker, Donald; Malina, Robert M.Background: The 12-minute run is a commonly used indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness in youth. Variation in growth and maturity status as potential correlates of test performance has not been systematically addressed. Aim: To evaluate biological and environmental determinants of 12-minute run performance in Portuguese youth aged 7–17years. Subjects and methods: Mixed-longitudinal samples of 187 boys and 142 girls were surveyed in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The 12-minute run was the indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness. Height, body mass and five skinfolds were measured and skeletal maturity was assessed. Physical activity, socioeconomic status and area of residencewere obtainedwitha questionnaire. Multi-level modelling was used fortheanalysis. Results: Chronological age and sum of five skinfolds were significant predictors of 12-minute run performance. Older boys and girls ran longer distances than younger peers, while high levels of subcutaneous fat were associated with shorter running distances. Rural boys were more proficient in the 12-minute run than urban peers. Skeletal maturity, height, body mass index, physical activity and socioeconomic status were not significant predictors of 12-minute run performances. Conclusions: Age and sum of skinfolds in both sexes and rural residence in boys are significant predictors of 12-minute run performance in Portuguese youth.
- Short-term secular change in height, body mass and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 skeletal maturity of Madeira youth, PortugalPublication . Freitas, Duarte Luís de; Malina, Robert M.; Maia, José António Ribeiro; Lefevre, Johan Aimé; Stasinopoulos, Mikis; Gouveia, Élvio; Claessens, Albrecht Leo; Thomis, Martine Ann; Lausen, BertholdSecular trends in height and weight are reasonably well documented in Europe. Corresponding observations for skeletal maturation are lacking. Aim: To assess secular trends in height, body mass and skeletal maturity of Portuguese children and adolescents and to provide updated reference values for skeletal maturity scores (SMSs). Subjects and methods: Data for 2856 children and adolescents of 4–17 years, 1412 boys and 1444 girls, from The ‘Madeira Growth Study’ (MGS; 1996–1998) and from the‘Healthy Growth of Madeira Children Study’ (CRES; 2006) were used. Height and body mass were measured. Skeletal maturity was assessed with the Tanner-Whitehouse 2 and 3 methods. Results: Children from CRES were taller and heavier than peers from MGS. Differences in height reached 5.8cm in boys and 5.5cm in girls. RUS SMSs did not differ consistently between surveys boys, while higher RUS scores were observed in CRES girls. Adult RUS SMSs for MGS and CRES combined were attained at 15.8 years in boys and 14.8 years in girls. Corresponding ages for adult Carpal SMSs were 14.4 and 14.0, respectively. Conclusion: The short-term trends for height and mass were not entirely consistent with the trends in RUS and Carpal SMSs and SAs.