FIEP European Congress 2018
FIEP European & World Congresses
Istanbul 2018
13th European Congress & 29th World Congress of the International Federation of Physical Education (FIEP)
Turkey, Istanbul, Marmara University, Faculty of Sports Sciences Campus
Video format: MP4 | watch on YouTube
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The FIEP Congresses are organised by the International Federation of Physical Education (Fédération Internationale d’Education Physique – FIEP), which was founded in 1923 and it is the oldest institution in the field of Physical Education. FIEP's aim is to promote and develop Physical Education and Sports Education, Sport for All, Fitness and Health and Recreation. The FIEP European Congress is probably their biggest annual event and it has been held in different countries around Europe over the course of many years. Last year I was accepted as a FIEP New Leader and presented a poster at the 12th FIEP European Congress in Luxembourg. This year, it was the 13th FIEP European Congress, and it was joined with the 29th FIEP World Congress, hosted by the Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
I presented our research during the parallel sessions at the 13th FIEP European Congress & 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul. Our study was concerned with the reference gap in the European physical fitness percentile scores for the Alpha-fit test battery. The abstract was published as conference proceedings, and together with our presentation are both available for download on this page. After the 2018 FIEP Congress, this study was built upon further based on the received feedback, and it was published in the European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, Vol.5, 2019.
Combined sets of European physical fitness percentile scores, with appropriate interpolations, for children and adolescents for the Alpha-fit test battery
Presentation at the Parallel Sessions
FIEP European & World Congresses 2018
13th European Congress & 29th World Congress of the International Federation of Physical Education
COMBINED SETS OF EUROPEAN PHYSICAL FITNESS PERCENTILE SCORES, WITH APPROPRIATE INTERPOLATIONS, FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOR THE ALPHA-FIT TEST BATTERY
S. Kolimechkov, L. Petrov & A. Alexandrova,
National Sports Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Physical fitness has been shown to be a major health factor in both children and adolescents. One of the most widely applied physical fitness test batteries in Europe is the Alpha-fit. However, there is a reference gap between 9.9 and 12.4 years without percentile scores in the published norms for handgrip strength, standing long jump, and 4x10m shuttle run tests (SRT), which has to be filled in. Percentile scores for the 20m SRT in European children are available for the ages between 6.0 and 9.0, but for the assessment of children above 9 years of age, appropriate international norms should be applied until the missing European percentile scores for VO2max are established. The aim of this study was to propose interpolated physical fitness percentile scores for the main tests in the Alpha-fit test battery, which can be temporarily applied until this gap is filled in by experimental research.
METHODS:
The available European normative values for children published by Miguel-Etayo et al., 2014, and for adolescents published by Ortega et al., 2011 were linearly interpolated in order to propose percentile scores to close the gap from 9.9 to 12.4 years of age in relation to the aforementioned tests (handgrip strength, standing long jump, and 4x10m SRT). Moreover, percentiles which were not given with the published values (20th, 30th, 40th, 60th, 70th, 80th, and 100th in children, and the 1st, 3rd, 25th, 75th, 97th, and 99th in adolescents) were also interpolated.
With regard to the 20m SRT, we chose to combine the available European normative values supplied by Miguel-Etayo et al., 2014 for children from 6.0 to 9.0 years of age, and international norms in children and adolescents between the ages of 9 and 17, as published by Tomkinson et al., 2016, in order, thereby, to produce a full set of norms with the appropriate interpolations.
RESULTS & DISCUSSION:
The obtained interpolated percentile scores can be applied to assess the results from the Alpha-fit test battery of children and adolescents from 6 to 17 years of age. The combined percentile curves for handgrip strength, standing long jump, 4x10m SRT, and 20m SRT showed linearity, which sharpens between the ages of 9 and 13, and is probably connected with puberty.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed combined and interpolated reference values can be applied in order to evaluate European children and adolescents at all ages until the missing values are established by experimental research.
Presenting Author: Dr Stefan Kolimechkov
Date & time: 28 September 2018, 9:00 am
Day 3 of the FIEP Parallel Sessions, Marmara University, Seminar Hall.
Chair: Dr Dana Masarykova
GALLERY, FIEP Istanbul 2018
With PhD student Pavel Kapoun (Masaryk University in Czech Republic) at the 13th FIEP European Congress.
Registration at the 2018 FIEP Congress in Istanbul.
Opening Ceremony of the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, 2018.
Prof. Ming-Kai Chin presents the Brain Breaks at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress.
Dr Balasekaran (Singapore) presents his study on physical fitness of adolescents at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress.
Dr Uri Schaefer talks about the future of Physical Education at the 2018 FIEP Congres in Istanbul.
Here I am with Prof Tony Hwang (National Taiwan Sport University) preparing for Day 2 of the 13th European and 29th World FIEP Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Here I am with Associate Professor Ufuk Alpkaya (Marmara University, School of Physical Education and Sports) at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Here I am at Marmara University, School of Physical Education and Sports in Istanbul.
My Presentation at the 13th European and 29th World FIEP Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
I presented the Combined sets of European physical fitness percentile scores at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Here I am presenting my study at the Parallel sessions on Day 3 from the 13th European and 29th World FIEP Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Our software for assessing aerobic fitness (BeepShuttle Junior) was highlighted at the FIEP European Congress 2018.
Acknowledging our team at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018 (Dr Petrov and Dr Alexandrova from the National Sports Academy, Sofia).
The proposed combined and interpolated reference values that I presented at the FIEP Congress 2018 can be applied in order to evaluate European children and adolescents at all ages until the missing values are established by experimental research.
My certificate of participation at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
The city of Istanbul.
Here we are with my fellow researchers walking around the city of Istanbul, 2018 FIEP Congress.
During the Congress, I met a great friend, Maddalena Bonasia (Doctor in Sports Science). Here we are on the top of the Galata Tower in Istanbul, FIEP 2018.
We visited the Galata Tower in Istanbul, which is one of the oldest towers in the world. It was built of wood in 528, and then reconstructed in 1348 using stack stone.
Great experience with my fellow-researcher colleague Maddalena Bonasia in the 3D Fly Ride Istanbul at the Galata Tower.
My conference badge at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Sightseeing with my FIEP colleague Maddalena around the city of Istanbul, FIEP 2018.
Our abstract entitled 'Combined sets of European physical fitness percentile scores, with appropriate interpolations, for children and adolescents for the Alpha-fit test battery' was published in the proceeding book of the 2018 FIEP Congress.
Professor Branislav Antala (FIEP Vice-President) awards researchers at the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Openning remarks by Professor Antala at the Gala Dinner of the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Congress in Istanbul, 2018.
Fantastic time with Maddalena at the Gala Dinner of the 13th FIEP European Congress and 29th FIEP World Conress in Istanbul, Turkey 2018.
How to cite this study:
After the 13th European and 29th World FIEP Congress in Istanbul, our study was built upon further and the complete findings were published in the European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, Vol.5, 2019, so you can cite the article in this journal as follows:
Kolimechkov, S., Petrov, L., & Alexandrova, A. (2019). Alpha-fit test battery norms for children and adolescents from 5 to 18 years of age obtained by a linear interpolation of existing European physical fitness references. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 5(4), 1-14.