Concurrent and Criterion-Referenced Validity of Trunk Muscular Fitness Tests in School-Aged Children
Low back pain (LBP)
has been shown to commence during childhood or early adolescence and some
evidence suggests that back pain in youth has a high predictive value for back
pain in adulthood. And a frequent cause of decreased physical activity levels in
youth and adults is the presence of LBP. Indeed, proposed correlates of LBP in
youth include poor physical fitness, decreased physical activity, poor
hamstring flexibility, increased sedentary behaviors including TV and computer
time, and rising overweight and obesity rates. Therefore, proper assessment of
low back function in physical education settings is needed to identify children
who may be at risk. The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent
and criterion-referenced validity of field tests of low back and core muscular
endurance in school-aged children.
The sample
consisted of 4th through 10th grade students (N
= 370) who completed low back and core muscular fitness tests on four separate
testing days during their physical education classes. Field measures related to
low back function included the Box 90° Trunk Extension (Box 90°) and the
FITNESSGRAM Trunk Extension (FG-TE). Field measures related to overall core
function consisted of a Lateral Plank, Prone Plank, and a Static and Dynamic
Curl-up. Criterion measures of low-back muscular endurance included the
Parallel Roman Chair Dynamic Trunk Extension (PRC-DTE) and the Parallel Roman
Chair Static Trunk Extension (PRC-STE).
Multivariate
analysis using canonical correlations showed moderate correlations between low
back and core measures (P < .001). The Lateral Plank, Prone Plank, and
Dynamic Curl-up had moderate-to-strong canonical cross-loadings with the low
back measure variate. The FG-TE displayed an insignificant canonical
coefficient, and weak canonical loadings and cross-loadings. Measures of
overall core function also significantly agreed with the criterion measures in
classifying students into ranked tertile groups (P < .001).
In conclusion, this paper suggests that the FG-TE, a commonly used
assessment in FITNESSGRAM for lumbar strength and flexibility, should not be
used as a measure of low back muscular endurance in school-aged children. This
study also supports that measures of overall core muscular endurance can be
useful assessments to examine specific low back muscular endurance.
Article by Ryan
D. Burns, et al, from USA.
Full access: http://mrw.so/4pAM82
Image by David
Cross, from Flickr-cc.
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