Healthy fitness zone prevalence and age-specific fitness profile of young people in seven European countries in 2022: The EUFITMOS project

Background: Physical fitness is a health marker in youth and is associated with current and future health. Objective: Present the healthy fitness zone (HFZ) prevalence and age-specific fitness profile of young people from seven European countries. Methods: This study used data from the European Fitness Monitoring System project. The sample comprised 4965 (51.4% boys) youths aged 9 to 18 years. Fitness data were collected by physical education teachers using field-based tests. Raw data from the fitness tests were used to calculate the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of participants in the HFZ. Results: The overall prevalence of boys and girls in the HFZ for all tests was 16.6% (95% CI = 14.7, 18.1) and 14.9% (95% CI = 13.2, 16.6), respectively. Boys have a mainly positive HFZ profiles, except for the 9-year-olds in the sit and reach (z-score difference = −1.20) and the 20 m run for boys 13–18-year-olds (z-score difference range: −0.09 to −0.01). Girls have worse HFZ profiles than boys, being out of the HFZ in several tests. Furthermore, a decreasing trend in z-score difference from the HFZ with age was observed in VO₂ peak for boys and girls and sit and reach for girls. Notwithstanding, several country-related, sex and age differences were observed. Conclusions: Boys presented mostly healthy age-specific fitness profiles in several fitness tests and ages. These differences should be considered when promoting youth's health through physical activity and fitness, as different fitness levels may require different approaches to implementing health-enhancing physical activity policies.