IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i21p8008-d437864.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Italian Physical Fitness Decline: A True Fact or a Mindset? A 10-Year Observational Perspective Study

Author

Listed:
  • Nicola Lovecchio

    (Laboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
    Department of Human and Social Science, University of Bergamo, 24100 Bergamo, Italy
    Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy)

  • Matteo Giuriato

    (Department of Human Science, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
    Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, Università of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
    Department of Physical Education, Gdańsk Academy of Physical Education and Sport, 80-001 Gdańsk, Poland)

  • Vittoria Carnevale Pellino

    (Laboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
    Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Tor Vergata, 00100 Rome, Italy)

  • Francesca Valarani

    (Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy)

  • Roberto Codella

    (Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
    Department of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20138 Milano, Italy)

  • Matteo Vandoni

    (Laboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

Abstract

Evidence regarding a putative physical fitness decline remains less well documented for Italian children and adolescents. An update review of data collection articles was undertaken concerning motor performances (power, strength, speed-agility and indirect cardiorespiratory fitness) of children and adolescents worldwide and compared with 2859 11–12-year-old Italian students of both sexes, throughout a ten-year observational period. Lower limb explosive strength (standing broad jump), flexibility (sit-and-reach), endurance (Cooper) and speed (SP-30) performances of sixth grade Italian students showed nearly stable trends, with no differences during the observed decade, in both sexes. This 10-year perspective study confirmed that Italian physical fitness levels flatlined rather than actually declined. According to these study data, the decline in physical fitness of the Italian youth is ostensible and needs a further in-depth analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Lovecchio & Matteo Giuriato & Vittoria Carnevale Pellino & Francesca Valarani & Roberto Codella & Matteo Vandoni, 2020. "Italian Physical Fitness Decline: A True Fact or a Mindset? A 10-Year Observational Perspective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8008-:d:437864
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8008/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8008/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8008-:d:437864. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.