Association between weight-adjusted waist index and 20-meter shuttle run test in Chinese children and adolescents: a multicenter cross-sectional survey

TL;DR

This study explores how a new body measurement called weight-adjusted waist index relates to cardiopulmonary fitness in Chinese children and adolescents.

Contribution

The study introduces the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) as a novel indicator and examines its relationship with cardiopulmonary fitness in Chinese children.

Findings

There is an inverted 'U' relationship between WWI and 20-meter shuttle run test (SRT) performance in children and adolescents.

Both low and high WWI values are associated with lower SRT scores, with a stronger effect observed in boys.

SRT scores increase with age, peaking in the 15–17-year-old group.

Abstract

Cardiopulmonary fitness is associated with several physical health indicators in children and adolescents and has shown a downward trend in recent years. The 20-m SRT has received widespread attention from scholars as a recognized indirect measure for evaluating cardiopulmonary fitness. However, few studies have analyzed the association between the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), a novel indicator, and cardiopulmonary fitness in Chinese children and adolescents.

In this study, 41,523 children and adolescents aged 6–17 years in China were assessed for weight, waist circumference, 20-m SRT, and related covariates. One-way ANOVA, LSD, and curvilinear regression analyses were used to analyze the associations that existed between WWI and 20-m SRT.

Comparison of WWI and 20-m SRT scores among Chinese children and adolescents of different ages showed statistically significant differences (F-values of 2179.297 and 4956.795, respectively, p < 0.001). Overall, the 20-m SRT scores of both boys and girls showed a general trend of increasing with age, with a maximum of 48.78 laps and 31.17 laps in the age group of 15–17 years, respectively. The differences in 20-m SRT scores were statistically significant (p < 0.001) when compared between different WWI groups. Both lower and higher WWI resulted in lower 20-m SRT scores, more significantly in boys compared to girls.

There is an inverted “U” curve relationship between WWI and 20-m SRT in Chinese children and adolescents aged 6–17 years, and this relationship is reflected in different genders and age groups. In the future, we should ensure that the WWI of children and adolescents is within a reasonable range to better promote cardiopulmonary fitness.

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