Studies in Somatic Growth, Biological Maturation, Physical Fitness and Activity in Portuguese Speaking Countries: an Overview

Abstract

The present study has the following purposes: (1) to present and situate the studies made in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries and (2) to present some recommendations for future investigations. Seventeen studies are considered and the following conclusions are drawn: (1) almost the totality of the studies present a cross-sectional design; (2) in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries context, the height and weight of Portuguese and Brazilian children are near- ly coincident while the youngsters of Mozambique are shorter and less heavy. The children from Cabo Verde and Mozambique have less subcutaneous fat than the Portuguese and Brazilian children. On sit and reach, Mozambique presents the best per- formances but the opposite holds true for sit ups. On 12-minute run/walk, Portuguese perform better than Brazilians; (3) in European context, boys and girls from Brazil and Mozambique are slightly shorter than Belgians. Children and youth from Mozambique are less heavy and have lower subcutaneous fat levels than Belgian children. On sit and reach Mozambique boys and girls perform better than their Belgian peers. Future growth studies need to consider to use: (1) longitudinal or mixed-longi- tudinal designs; (2) multidisciplinary research teams; (3) well defined methodologies in training of test team; (4) rigorous quality control during data collection and data entry; and (5) inclusion of parameters related to health