Trends in Physical Fitness Among 12-Year-Old Children in Urban and Rural Areas During the Social Transformation Period in China.

Aims: To investigate the 29-year (1985-2014) trends in body dimensions and physical fitness test performances among 12-year-old Chinese children living in urban and rural areas.

Methods: The data were from the findings of seven cross-sectional surveys from the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. In the seven surveys, there were 34,238; 11,664; 17,485; 18,057; 19,254; 17,962; and 17,906 children, respectively. Anthropometric measurements and physical fitness performances of 12-year-old Chinese children living in rural and urban areas were analyzed. Polynomial models were used to analyze trends in test performances. Analysis of variance was used to assess the urban-rural differentials.

Results: The height and weight of both urban and rural children substantially increased from 1985 to 2014. Urban children were taller and heavier than rural children. A slight narrowing of the urban-rural differential in height was observed. The disparity in weight increased from 1985 to 2000 and decreased thereafter. Urban children performed better in most of the physical fitness tests examined, such as standing long jump, 50-m run, and sit-ups. The urban-rural disparity decreased from 1985 to 2014 in 50-m run, standing long jump, and sit-up score; the largest difference in 10 × 50 m run and pull-up score was observed in 2000 and 2005, respectively.

Conclusions: There was a general decline in physical fitness in both urban and rural children after 2000. Urgent, targeted actions need to be taken by public health policy officials and parents to maintain or improve the physical fitness of children.