The aim of this study was to obtain better knowledge about teenagers' physical capacity and physical activity. The study group consisted of 301 students in upper secondary school, 191 students in practical education (74 girls and 117 boys) and 110 students in theoretical education (57 girls and 53 boys). The adolescents were 16-19 years old and lived in southern Sweden. The study comprised three parts: a questionnaire, seven physical tests (one test to predict maximal oxygen uptake, three strength tests, two flexibility tests and one balance test) and information on each pupil's grades. Pupils in practical education for occupations like industrial- and building workers, mechanics, assistant nurses and hairdressers, all of which are occupations involving physical effort, had lower physical capacity than pupils in theoretical education among both girls and boys. A correlation was found between physical capacity and grades.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to find variables related to positive attitudes to physical education (PE) and strong sense of coherence (SOC) among adolescents. METHODS: The study included three parts: seven physical tests; a questionnaire which included ways of living, attitudes to PE, and subjective health, the 13-question version of SOC; and information on every student's grades. The study group comprised 301 teenagers (131 girls and 170 boys, aged 16-19 years) attending upper secondary school. Positive odds ratio was used in the logistic regression analyses with SOC and attitudes to PE as dependent variables. RESULTS: Variables related to positive attitudes to PE were strong SOC, high physical capacity, high leisure-time physical activity (PA), high grades in PE, and little time spent watching TV. Variables related to strong SOC were positive attitudes to PE, high grades in PE, very good subjective health, and feeling comfortable in school. Highest physical capacity, highest mean grades, and highest grades in PE were found among adolescents who reported exercise four times or more per week. CONCLUSIONS: An interrelation between attitudes to PE and SOC was shown. The relation between positive attitudes to PE and high scores in SOC indicated that past experiences of PA and PE could contribute to the development of SOC, and actual levels of SOC could influence the persistent attitudes to PE and be important for lifelong PA. One means of identification of favourable or unfavourable health behaviour among young people might be through PA patterns, and relations between attitudes to PE and SOC.

The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with self-reported physical activity (PA), self-perceived physical fitness and competence in physical education (PE) among young children. The study included physical tests, anthropometric measures and a questionnaire. The study group comprised 206 children (114 boys and 92 girls, aged 8-12 years). Positive Odds Ratio was used in the logistic regression analyses. High level of self-reported PA was associated with membership of sport clubs and high self-perceived physical fitness. Variables associated with high self-perceived competence in PE were low age, high physical performance, living with both parents, high self-perceived physical fitness, male gender and enjoying PE. Variables associated with high self-perceived physical fitness were low age, high performance in endurance running, high self-reported PA, positive self-perceived body function and high self-perceived competence in PE. Correlations between children's self-perceived competence in PE and actual measured physical performance, between the self-perceived fitness and endurance performance and between self-reported PA and physical performance could be seen as a form of concurrent validity. One implication of the study for practitioners might be that children's own perceptions of their physical competence and activity levels could be used to roughly identify groups of children who are at risk of remaining physically inactive and therefore more prone to be unhealthy.

The aim of this study was to assess whether a school-based program with expanded physical education lessons was effective in increasing children's physical capacity and in preventing excessive weight gain in children. The study performed in 2000-2003 comprised 132 children, 73 boys and 59 girls at baseline 6-9 years and in follow-up 9-12 years, attending two different schools with a similar size, appearance and structure in a rural area. The norm school (N-school) followed the stipulated curricular time, one to two physical education lessons a week, while the intervention school (I-school) increased it to four lessons. More positive changes in physical index (the sum of the age-standardized results in 11 physical tests) were found among children in the I-school than in the N-school. The number of children who increased body mass index (BMI) increased in both schools, but a lower increase in BMI could be seen in the I-school. Expanded physical education lessons could increase physical status among both overweight and normal-weight children, in particular aerobic fitness. The weekly dose of physical activity must be higher than 40 min a day and must start earlier in children's life to be more effective in combating BMI increase.