Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Recent research suggests that most chronic diseases (e.g., some cancers, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, etc.) begin to develop in childhood and adolescence, but the symptoms of these diseases are often dormant until mid-adulthood. The basic prognosis of most chronic diseases and western medicine ideology are such that children and adolescents are viewed as being healthy. However, this is not the case - some children are healthier than others. To compare the health of children and youth remains a difficult task. To date, the most non-invasive and cost-effective approach to compare the health of children across populations include the measurement of body composition and physical activity, but there are many limitations to these approaches. Comparing cardiorespiratory endurance (CRE) in children and youth might be the most effective method to understand the health of children across cities, provinces, countries and continents. Furthermore, recent research indicates that individuals with low CRE in childhood have increased odds of developing cardiovascular disease and succumbing to early death. CRE is measured through a 20 m shuttle run test, which is a quick, simple and cost-effective assessment that has been used in over 50 countries worldwide since the 1980s. Thus, the purpose of this research is to compare the 20 m shuttle run test performance of children and youth from 50 countries (representing 6 of 7 continents). Results from this study will help identify countries with healthier children. In addition, this study will identify broad socioeconomic indicators that are associated with 20 m shuttle run test performance, identifying country-specific policies and programs that may help improve the health of children and youth worldwide.