Relationship between Nutrition, Socioeconomic Status and Fitness in elementary School Children: A Review of the literature Patki Kshitija PT1,*, Bhatnagar Barkha2, Parasher Raju K.3 1Research Scholar, Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad 2Associate Professor, Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad 3Director/Principal, Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy, University of Delhi *Corresponding Author: Kshitija Patki 7295/2 Prem Nagar, Near kamla Nagar, Delhi-110007 Email: Kshitijapatki@gmail.com, niteshbansal@yahoo.com
Online published on 5 May, 2018. Abstract Background Fitness is the ability of the body to carry out every day activities with little fatigue and with enough energy left for emergencies. A person is categorized as physically fit if he or she has a good level of flexibility, muscle strength (and endurance), cardiovascular endurance and a normal range of body fat. Schools play a major role in the overall development of a child-both as far as their mental abilities as well as their physical fitness. Furthermore, what a child eats and unfortunately his/her socio-economic status (SEC) also play an important role in their development. Purpose The purpose of this literature review was to examine the available evidence related to physical fitness, nutrition and socioeconomic status of elementary school children. Method Articles included were relevant literature identified through searches of published studies in major databases namely Google Scholar, PubMed, PEDro etc. using keywords such as “Fitness, Elementary School, Physical Activity and Nutrition” and also by Cross-referring. Only articles published after the year 2000 were included in the study. Results After analyzing 16 relevant articles, it was observed that globally, health hazards have been associated with both under-nutrition and over-nutrition. Furthermore, it has a relationship with socio economic status, and thus influences fitness level of children. The prevalence of obesity and low fitness level is higher amongst boys in the age group of 7–14 years. It is also prevalent in both low as well as high SEC status groups. Nutrition has a definite relationship with fitness and nourishment problems are common amongst elementary school children. Conclusion There is association between SEC, nutrition and physical fitness and it is important that children be comprehensively evaluated with regards to the factors that impact physical fitness. Top Keywords Fitness, nutrition, socioeconomic status, elementary school children. Top |