Physical Fitness Surveillance and Monitoring Systems Inventory for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review with a Global Perspective.

Anthony D Okely, Anelise R Gaya, Cesar Agostinis-Sobrinho, Yang Liu, Javier Brazo-Sayavera, Leandro Dos Santos, Danilo R Silva, Francisco B Ortega, Jonatan R Ruiz, Gregor Jurak, Grant R Tomkinson, Lars Bo Andersen, David R Lubans, Mark S Tremblay, Antonio García-Hermoso, Eun-Young Lee, Justin J Lang

Journal: Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2024;54(7):1755-1769

PMID: 38710913

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Abstract

Surveillance of health-related physical fitness can improve decision-making and intervention strategies promoting health for children and adolescents. However, no study has comprehensively analyzed surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness globally. This review sought to address this gap by identifying: (1) national-level surveillance/monitoring systems for physical fitness among children and adolescents globally, (2) the main barriers and challenges to implementing surveillance/monitoring systems, and (3) governmental actions related to existing surveillance/monitoring systems. We used a scoping review to search, obtain, group, summarize, and analyze available evidence. Our review involved three stages: (1) identification of surveillance systems through a systematic literature review, with complementary search of the grey literature (e.g., reference lists, Google Scholar, webpages, recommendations), (2) systematic consultation with relevant experts using a Delphi method to confirm/add systems and to gather and analyze information on the barriers and challenges to implementing systems, and (3) Web searches for public documents on government sites and surveillance/monitoring system pages, and direct internet searches to identify relevant governmental actions related to surveillance systems. A total of 15 fitness surveillance/monitoring systems met our inclusion criteria. Experts identified a lack of government support and funding, and the low priority of fitness on the public health agenda as the main barriers/challenges to implementation. Several governmental actions related to surveillance systems were identified, including policies, strategies, programs, and guidelines. We propose a Global Observatory of Physical Fitness to help address these issues.

Address: Department of Sports and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain. [email protected].; Department of Sports and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.; Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, UFS, São Cristóvão, Brazil.; Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.; Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.; Health Research and Innovation Science Centre, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania.; Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center (SPRINT), Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Guarda, Portugal.; Faculty of Teacher Education, Art and Sport, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway.; Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain.; Projeto Esporte Brasil, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.; Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.; School of Kinesiology & Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.; School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.; Shanghai Research Center for Physical Fitness and Health of Children and Adolescents, Shanghai, China.; Centre for Active Living and Learning, College of Human and Social Futures, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.; Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.; School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.; Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Science, Sport and Health, University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.; Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.; CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Granada, Spain.; Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Science, Sport and Health, University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.; CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Granada, Spain.; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, Ibs.Granada, Granada, Spain.; Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; Department of Sports and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02038-9