Objectives: To compare body mass index (BMI) with body circumferences in 4 to 10 year-old Brazilian children. Design: Descriptive correlational type study. Setting: Universidad Estatal de Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants: Children 4 to 10 year-old. Interventions: We selected in a probabilistic (stratified) manner a total of 517 children both sexes, 256 boys and 261 girls. We evaluated anthropometric measurements of body weight (kg), height (cm), BMI [BMI = weight (kg)/height (m)2] and relaxed mean arm girth, thigh and calf (cm). For data analysis descriptive statistics were used for arithmetic mean (X), standard deviation (SD) and Pearson’s coefficient correlation product moment (r) as well as to infer step by step the stepwise multiple regression analysis. Main outcome measures: Correlation of body mass index with body circumferences. Results: BMI had high correlation coeffic...

Introduction: Assessment of body composition is important as it allows splitting body weight in muscle weight, fat weight, bone weight and residual weight, both in humans and animals. Objectives: To validate somatic equations to predict a tri-compartment model of body composition (fat weight, fat free weight and residual weight) in male Wistar rats. Design: Descriptive transversal type study. Setting: Faculty of Biology, State University UNICAMP, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Biological material: Male Wistar rats. Methods: The study evaluated body weight (g) in 10 average age (X = 98.00 ± 10.40 days) male Wistar rats. They were sacrificed and splitting of fat weight (skin), fat free weight (muscle and bone) and residual weight (PR) (g) was done. Results were analyzed by arithmetic mean (X), standard deviation (SD) and Pearson product moment correlations (r) descriptive statistics. To predict compo...

Introduction: In order to determine the degree of biological maturation in rodents it is necessary to apply non-invasive and invasive methods, for which studies covering different strains of rats need simple procedures to control the confounding effects of biological maturation they may cause. Objectives: To determine from body mass growth velocity of Wistar male rats and to propose linear regression equations to predict growth velocity peak (GVP). Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Institution: State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, Department of Pharmacology. Methods: From 101 rats 25 male Wistar rats 21 days old were selected in probabilistic-random (randomized tables). Body mass (g) was assessed every week until 16 weeks of life. For statistical analysis, descriptive statistics were used in arithmetic average (X) and standard deviation (SD). To determine significant differ...

hypoxia as well as to socioeconomic, nutritional and environmental factors. Objectives: To compare physical growth of school children in Peruvian urban areas at sea level (150 meters above sea level) and moderate altitude (2 320 m.a.s.l.). Design: Ex post facto design, descriptive comparative study. Institution: Faculty of Physical Education, State University of Campinas, SP, Brazil, and Universidad Nacional de Educacion, Lima, Peru. Participants: School children. Interventions: A total of 1 153 boys and girls aged 6 to 11 years were selected from two Peruvian geographical regions, one at sea level (SL) (Lima-East; 150 m.a.s.l.) and the other at moderate altitude (MA) (urban Southern Arequipa; 2 320 m.a.s.l.). School children at SL were chosen in non-probabilistic intentional way, totaling a subsample of 672 children. Pupils at moderate altitude (MA) were selected by stratified probabili...

La aptitud física es abordada desde dos puntos de vista: en relación a la salud y al rendimiento motor, y su evaluación debe ser a través de pruebas físicas estandarizadas. Objetivo: Proponer una batería de pruebas físicas para niños de 6 a 12 años, de Arequipa, Perú. Material y Métodos: Fueron seleccionados 239 niños de manera probabilística (estratificado), siendo 119 niños y 120 niñas de condición socioeconómica media de escuelas públicas del área urbana de la ciudad de Arequipa, comprendidos entre los seis a doce años, a los cuales se les aplicó cinco pruebas de aptitud física (flexibilidad, abdominales, salto horizontal, velocidad y resistencia aeróbica). Resultados: Los resultados muestran que las cinco pruebas de aptitud física muestran valores óptimos de error técnico de medida (ETM) y confiabilidad (reproductibilidad). Conclusiones: Se sugiere el uso de...

Background: So far there is no questionnaire to assess the level of physical activity related to children and adolescents’ health in Peru, as well as information on measures of reproducibility. Objectives: To propose and validate a physical activity questionnaire for school adolescents living at moderate altitude. Design: Descriptive simple study. Setting: Faculty of Physical Education, UNICAMP, Brazil. Participants: School children 10 to 18 year-old. Interventions: The sample consisted of 116 students selected from a stratified probability, 58 men and 59 women, constituting 20% of National College of Immaculate Conception’s population, school located at District Jose Luis Bustamante y Rivero Arequipa (Peru). The questionnaire had 11 questions that assessed the level of physical activity using four indicators including such as activity type, frequency, duration and intensity. To dete...

Objectives: To determine physical growth parameters and to assess nutritional status of school adolescents. Design: Descriptive comparative study. Institution: Liceo Naval Admiral Lizardo Montero, Lima, Peru. Participants: Adolescents aged 12-15 years. Interventions: A non-probability selection of 501 school children of both sexes (251 men and 250 women) was done. Variables determined included weight and height. Mean, standard deviation, percentages, t-test for independent samples and paired (p <0.05) and chi-square (p<0.05) analysis were done. Main outcome measures: Variables of growth and nutritional status. Results: Compared to international references, there were no significant differences (p <0.05) in weight and height by sex in adolescents. The nutritional status showed higher proportion of well nourished subjects (74.5% in men and 75.6% in women) compared with low birth w...