Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2632; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122632
Healthy Lifestyle: Relationship between Mediterranean Diet, Body Composition and Physical Fitness in 13 to 16-Years Old Icelandic Students
Pablo Galan-Lopez 1
, Francis Ries 1, Thordis Gisladottir 2, Raúl Domínguez 3 and Antonio J. Sánchez-Oliver 4,5,*
, Francis Ries 1, Thordis Gisladottir 2, Raúl Domínguez 3 and Antonio J. Sánchez-Oliver 4,5,*
1
Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
2
Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, School of Education, University of Iceland, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland
3
Faculty of Health Sciences of Universidad Isabel I, Universidad Isabel I, 09004 Burgos, Spain
4
Faculty of Sports Sciences of Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
5
Human Motricity and Sports Performance Area, University of Seville, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 27 September 2018 / Revised: 11 November 2018 / Accepted: 21 November 2018 / Published: 24 November 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue IJERPH: 15th Anniversary)
Abstract
Childhood and adolescent obesity are currently among the greatest challenges for public health. Physical activity, physical fitness, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), representing powerful indicators of healthy lifestyles, are shown as determinant factors in the prevention and treatment of obesity. The aim of the present study has been to analyse the relationship between health-related physical fitness components, body composition, and adherence to MD in 387 Icelandic adolescents of 13–16-years old (54% boys). The ALPHA Fitness Test was used to measure physical fitness and body composition. The KIDMED questionnaire was used to assess the adherence to MD among participants. Associations between variables were tested according to gender and age using linear regression models and analysis of variance. Participants with high/medium adherence to MD showed significantly higher endurance scores in both the boys and the girls. Gender differences were found. The boys in high/medium MD categories had significantly lower fat percentages and ran a 4 × 10 m sprint faster than the girls. The girls scored higher than the boys in endurance and speed-agility tests. It can be concluded that a high and medium adherence to MD is associated with high and very high endurance in both the girls and the boys. View Full-TextKeywords:
adolescents; physical fitness; Mediterranean diet; body composition
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Galan-Lopez, P.; Ries, F.; Gisladottir, T.; Domínguez, R.; Sánchez-Oliver, A.J. Healthy Lifestyle: Relationship between Mediterranean Diet, Body Composition and Physical Fitness in 13 to 16-Years Old Icelandic Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2632.
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