Associations of blood lipid profile and physical fitness (EUROFIT) in urban and rural Ecuadorian adolescents

PURPOSE: Physical fitness has been proposed as a health marker during adolescence. Currently little is known about the fitness performance and its association with blood lipid profile in adolescents from low and middle income countries. We assessed if differences in physical fitness performance explained differences in blood lipid profile among urban and rural Ecuadorian adolescents. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2008 and April 2009 in 648 Ecuadorian adolescents (52.3% males) aged 11 to 15 years old attending secondary schools in Cuenca (urban n=490) and Nabón (rural n=158). Data collection included anthropometric measures, application of the EUROFIT battery and blood samples in a subsample (n=301). RESULT(S): According to FINESGRAM standard, 59% of the adolescents exhibit unhealthy levels of physical fitness. Urban adolescents had significantly better levels of triglycerides and HDL-c as well as significantly higher mean scores in five EUROFIT items (20m shuttle, speed shuttle run, plate tapping and vertical jump) than rural adolescents. The associations of blood lipid profile with EUROFIT items were not different among urban and rural adolescents. CONCLUSION(S): The fitness performance does not explain differences in blood lipid profile. More studies are needed in order to explain these differences. However, the high proportion of unhealthy fitness and blood lipid profile makes clear the need to develop programs aimed to improve fitness performance and blood lipid levels among Ecuadorian adolescents