Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41785039›Full record

ArticleJournal of public health (Oxford, England)2026

Temporal trends of physical fitness in northern Italian children (2014-2019): a repeated cross-sectional study.

Alessandro Gatti, Matteo Giuriato, Matteo Vandoni, Giovanni Messina, Rita Malavolta, Caterina Cavallo, Agnese Pirazzi, Vittoria Carnevale Pellino, Nicola Lovecchio, Stefano Lazzer

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Article in Journal of public health (Oxford, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Alessandro GattiLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Matteo GiuriatoLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Matteo VandoniLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3405-9364
Giovanni MessinaRegional School of Sport, Italian Olympic Committee, Via dei Macelli, 5, 34148 Trieste, Italy.
Rita MalavoltaRegional Italian Olympic Committee, Via dei Macelli, 5, 34148 Trieste, Italy.
Caterina CavalloLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Agnese PirazziLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Vittoria Carnevale PellinoLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, via forlanini 2, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Nicola LovecchioDepartment of Human and Social Science, University of Bergamo, via Salvecchio 19, Bergamo 24127, Italy.
Stefano LazzerSchool of Sport Sciences, University of Udine, p.le D. Simonetti, 2, 33013 Gemona del Friuli, Udine, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysical fitness (PF) is a crucial indicator of long-term health in children, influencing risks for cardiovascular disease, obesity, and overall mortality. Despite its significance, Italy lacks a national surveillance system able to track PF trends in children, hindering efforts to combat rising obesity rates. This study aims to evaluate temporal trends in PF through a possible surveillance system in elementary school children.

methodsA repeated cross-sectional study was performed and consisted of assessing five PF domains: balance, upper and lower limb strength, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and, speed-agility, along with BMI z-scores. PF trends were analyzed by age and sex, with logistic regression assessing the link between PF and obesity risk. Effects sizes (ES, Cohen's d) were computed to describe the trend's magnitude.

resultsCRF improved across all ages, especially in 10-11-year-olds (ES > 1.00). Younger children (6-9 years) showed gains in speed-agility, upper and lower limb strength, but these plateaued in older groups. We observed a decline in balance in 10-year-old boys.

conclusionsOverall, PF levels increased over time, with the most notable improvements observed in CRF. Implementing a nationwide PF surveillance system would facilitate continuous tracking of fitness trends, enabling policymakers to identify declines and develop targeted interventions.

Indexed as

Physical FitnessBody Mass IndexCardiorespiratory FitnessChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansItalyMaleMuscle Strengthexercisefitnesstestingtrendsyouth

Identifiers

PMID41785039
PMCPMC13223575

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.