Is physical fitness associated with the type of attended school? A cross-sectional analysis among adolescents

BACKGROUND: While academic achievement has been associated with physical activity, the present work questions the potential association between the physical fitness level of adolescents and the type of school they attend, ranging from academic to technical schools. METHODS: The Diagnoform (c) Test was performed by 20,228 young French students from 76 schools (9196 females), mean age 15.8 +/- 1.8 years. This dataset includes two higher education institutions (N.=870), 37 general high schools (N.=13,125), 18 professional-oriented high schools (N.=3569), 5 agricultural high schools (N.=132), 2 vocational training centers (N.=202) and 12 rural vocational training centers (N.=1137). RESULTS: In higher education institutions and general high schools, girls showed better performances for all physical tests. A decreasing Quotient of overall Physical fitness Condition (QPC) was observed for both genders from urban higher education schools to rural and technical institutions (P<0.001). The proportion of total variance accounting for within institution variation is strong (intra-class correlation coefficients [ICC] 0.20 [0.15; 0.27] for QPC). CONCLUSIONS: The lower physical fitness level observed here among students from technical or training schools places them at higher risks for the development of future chronic diseases. These results suggest that specific interventions are needed depending on the educational setting.