SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.6 número3Futebol e Cinema: relações índice de autoresíndice de assuntosPesquisa de artigos
Home Pagelista alfabética de periódicos  

Serviços Personalizados

Journal

Artigo

Indicadores

Links relacionados

  • Não possue artigos similaresSimilares em SciELO

Compartilhar


Revista Portuguesa de Ciências do Desporto

versão impressa ISSN 1645-0523

Rev. Port. Cien. Desp. v.6 n.3 Porto out. 2006

 

Aptidão física e actividade física em populações Africanas: Uma revisão da literatura.

 

Leonardo Nhantumbo1,3

Sílvio Saranga1,3

André Seabra2

José Maia2

António Prista1,3

1 Faculdade de Ciências de Educação Física e Desporto. Universidade Pedagógica, Moçambique.

2 Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física. Universidade do Porto, Portugal

3 Laboratório de Fisiologia do Exercício, DCD- Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Moçambique

 

RESUMO

O estabelecimento de relações entre a aptidão física e saúde a partir de uma óptica epidemiológica deriva, de entre outras razões, do incremento conspícuo do sedentarismo que se observa nos países industrializado e que se apresenta associado a uma multiplicidade de factores de condições mórbidas. Em África, face à predominância de actividades de sobrevivência o sedentarismo e suas comorbilidades não se afiguram como prioridade ou matéria de relevo. Contudo, as preocupações em torno da aptidão física neste continente, ainda que de panorama distinto, são pertinentes face a crescente urbanização das sociedades Africanas tem concorrido para o incremento dos níveis de hipocinésia, o que começa a inquietar as autoridades sanitárias. A presente revisão da literatura foi realizada com o propósito de minorar a escassez e dispersão da pesquisa em populações Africanas. Recorrendo à consulta de bases disponíveis, foram seleccionados todos os artigos que versassem estudos realizados em África com indexação aptidão física e actividade física. Dos estudos revistos emerge (1) uma inquietação em torno do alcance antropobiológico da expressão da aptidão física e dos padrões de actividade física das populações africanas de diferentes idades, grupos étnicos e estratos sócio-económicos, designadamente da influência stress ambiental, do estado nutricional e das infecções parasitárias na variabilidade da sua expressão e (2) o facto da avaliação da aptidão física e dos critérios de normalização estatural se basearem em valores de referência construídos a partir de amostras de países desenvolvidos emprestarem a este processo problemas de transculturalidade, têm ultimamente suscitado polémica e investigação sobre a sua validade.

Palavras-Chave: aptidão física, actividade física, África, saúde pública, epidemiologia

 

ABSTRACT

Physical Fitness and Physical Activity in Africa. State of the Art.

The established link between physical fitness and health is based on epidemiological evidence about sedentary lifestyles associated with multiple factors of morbid conditions. In Africa, survival activities demanding a lot of energy expenditure and moderate to high levels of physical fitness are not correlated with sedentary and its co-morbidities. Due to this major reason, no special attention was given to the relationship between fitness and health. Yet, there has been an increased interest and research about physical fitness of African children and adolescents due to the fact the urbanization is increasing in small to big African cities, and its potentiality in reducing physical activity levels. Such a fact is becoming a concern of health authorities. The present literature review was conducted with the aim of synthesising the available information. Based on a data base search, we selected all indexed papers with Africa, physical activity and physical fitness. From this search, two main issues are at hand: (1) a discussion about the clear anthropobiological meaning of physical fitness and physical activity patterns of African population of different ages, ethnicity, and socio-economic strata with a special emphasis on environmental stress, nutritional status and infection; (2) the fact that physical fitness assessment and normalizing criteria to height are based on reference data from developed countries that pose cross-cultural validity problems.

Key-words: physical fitness, physical activity, Africa, public health, epidemiology.

 

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text only available in PDF format.

 

Referências Bibliográficas

1. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (1980). Health Related Fitness Test Battery Manual. Reston, VA, AAPHERD.        [ Links ]

2. Austin MD, Ghesquiere J, Azama M (1979). Work capacity and body morphology of Bantu and Pygmoid groups of western Zaire. Human Biology 51(1):79-89.

3. Badenhorst ML, Peters EM, Ash J (1992). Maximal work capacity and dietary status of rural black South African schoolboys aged 10-14 years. South African Medical Journal 81(16):504-508.

4. Bénéfice E (1991). Nutritional status and development of working capacity of preschool Senegalese children. Early Child Development and Care Vol. 72:47-59.

5. Bénéfice E (1992a). Growth and motor development of healthy Senegalese preschool children. American Journal of Human Biology 4:717-728.

6. Bénéfice E (1992b). Physical activity and anthropometric and functional characteristics of mildly malnourished Senegalese children. Ann. Trop. Paediatr. 12(1):55-66.

7. Benéfice E, Malina R (1996). Body size, body composition and motor performance of mild-to-moderately undernourished Senegalese children. Annals of Human Biology. 23(4):307-321.

8. Bénéfice E, Cames C (1999). Physical activity patterns of rural Senegalese adolescent girls during the dry and rainy seasons measured by movement registration and direct observation methods. Eur. J. Clin. Nutrition. 53(8):636-43.

9. Bénéfice E, Fouére T,Malina R (1999). Early nutritional history and motor performance of Senegalese children, 4-6 years of age. Annals of Human Biology. 26 (5):443-455.

10. Bénéfice E, Garnier D, Ndiaye G (2001a). High levels of habitual physical activity in West African adolescent girls and relationship to maturation, growth, and nutritional status: results from a 3-year prospective study. Am J Hum Biol. 13(6):808-20.

11. Bénéfice E, Garnier D, Ndiaye G (2001b). Assessment of physical activity among rural Senegalese adolescent girls: influence of age, sexual maturation, and body composition. Journal of Adolescent Health. 28(4):319-27.

12. Bouchard C, Shephard RJ (1992). Physical activity, fitness and health: The model and key concepts. In: Bouchard, C; Shephard, RJ; Stevens, T (eds.). Physical activity, fitness and health. International Proceedings and Consensus Statement. Human Kinetics, 77-88.

13. Bouchard C, Shephard RJ, Stephens T, Sutton JR, Mcpherson BD (1988). Exercise, Fitness, and Health: The Consensus Statement. In: Bouchard et al (eds.). Exercise, Fitness, and Health: A Consensus of Current Knowledge. Human Kinetics Books, Champaign, Illinois, 3-31.

14. Cameron N (1991). Measurement issues related to the anthropometric assessment of nutritional status. In: J. Himes (ed.). Anthropometric assessment of nutritional status. Willey-Liss, pp.347-364.

15. Collins KJ, Abdel-Rahaman T, Awad El Karim MA (1988). Schistosomiasis: field studies of energy expenditure in agricultural workers in the Sudan. In: Collins, KJ; Roberts, DJ (eds.). Capacity of work in the tropics. Society for the Study of Human Biology Symposium. 26, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 235-247.

16. Corlet JT (1984). Power function analysis of physical performance by Tswana children. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2:131-37.

17. Corlet JT (1986). Growth of urban school children in Botswana. Annals of Human Biology. 13:73-82.

18. Corlet JT (1988). Strength Development of Tswana Children. Human Biology. 60(4):569-577.

19. Damasceno A, Prista A (2002). Prevalência de factores de risco cardiovascular nas crianças da Cidade de Maputo. In: Prista A, Maia J, Saranga S, Marques AT (eds). Saúde, crescimento e desenvolvimento: um estudo epidemiológico em crianças e jovens de Moçambique. FCDEF-Universidade do Porto, FCEFD-Universidade Pedagógica, Porto, Portugal, 89-96.

20. Davies C (1971a). Body composition in children: a references standard for maximum aerobic power output on stationary bicycle ergometer. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl. 1971; 217:136-7.

21. Davies C (1973b). Physiological response to exercise in East African children - 2. The effects of schistosomiasis, anaemia, and malnutrition. Env. Child Health 19:115-119.

22. Elnashir AM, Mayhew JL (1984). Physical fitness status of Egyptian children aged 9-18 years. British Journal of Sports Medicine 18 (1):26-29.

23. EUROFIT (1988). Handbook for the EUROFIT tests of physical fitness. Rome: Council of Europe Committee for the development of sport.

24. Eveleth P, Tanner J (1976). Worldwide variation in human growth (international biological program 8). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

25. Faye J, Seck K, Cisse F (1999). Transverse study comparing certain physical characteristics of Senegalese children and adolescents from 7 to 13 years of age. Dakar Med. 44(2):194-8.

26. Garnier D, Bénéfice E (2001). Habitual physical activity of Senegalese adolescent girls under different working conditions, as assessed by a questionnaire and movement registration. Annals of Human Biology 28(1):79-97.

27. Garnier D, Ndiaye G, Bénéfice E (2003). Influence of urban migration on physical activity, nutritional status and growth of Senegalese adolescents of rural origin. Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot. 96(3):223-7.

28. Goldstein H, Tanner J (1980). Ecological considerations on the use of anthropometry to assess nutritional status. Lancet 15; 1(8168 Pt 1):582-5.

29. Goslin BR, Burden SB. (1986). Physical fitness of South African school children. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 26:128-136.

30. Guesquière J, Eeckles R (1981). Health, physical development and fitness of primary school children in Kinshasa. Children and Sport 19-30.

31. Guesquière J, D´Hulst C, Nkiama E (1989). Fitness and oxygen uptake of children in the Ituri forest: natural selection or adaptation to the environment? International Journal of Anthropology 4:75-86.

32. Habitcht H, Matorel R, Yarbrough C, Malina R, Klein R (1974). Height and weight standards for preschool children. How relevant are ethnic differences in growth potential? Lancet 6;1(7858):611-614.

33. Henneberg M, Louw GJ (1998). Cross-sectional survey of growth of urban and rural “Cape Coloured” schoolchildren: anthropometry and functional tests. American Journal of Human Biology 10:73-85.

34. Henneberg M, Brush G, Harrison GA (2001). Growth of specific muscle strength between 6 and 18 years in contrasting socioeconomic conditions. American Journal of physical Anthropology 115:62-70.

35. Hiernaux, J (1968). Ethnic differences in growth and development. Eugenics Quarterly 15(1):12-21.

36. Kvalsvig JD, Becker PJ (1988). Selective exposure of active and sociable children to schistosomiasis. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 82:417-414.

37. Latham MC, Stephenson LS, Kurz KM, Kinoti SN (1990). Metrifonate or Praziquantel treatment improves physical fitness and appetite of Kenyan schoolboys with Schistosoma haematobium and hookworms infections. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 43:170-179.

38. Maia JÁ, Prista A, Marques AT, Lopes V, Saranga S (2002). Estudo univariado e multivariados dos níveis de aptidão física. Efeitos da maturação biológica, do tamanho do corpo, do estatuto sócio-económico e da percentagem de gordura corporal. In Prista, A; Maia, JAR; Saranga, S; Marques, AT (eds.): Saúde, crescimento e desenvolvimento – Um estudo epidemiológico em crianças e jovens de Moçambique. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, pp.49-69.

39. Malina R (1983). Socio-cultural influences of physical activity and performance. Bulletin de la Societé Belge d´Anthropologie et de Préhistorie . 94:155-76.

40. Martins D (1968). Dinâmica do crescimento e desenvolvimento da criança em Moçambique. Dissertação de Doutoramento apresentada à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.

41. McVeigh JA, Norris SA, Cameron N, Pettifor JM (2004). Associations between physical activity and bone mass in black and white South African children at age 9 years. J Appl Physiol. 97(3):1006-12.

42. Micklesfield L, Rosenberg L, Cooper D, Hoffman M, Kalla A, Stander I, Lambert E (2003). Bone mineral density and lifetime physical activity in South African women. Calcified Tissue International 73:463-469.

43. Muria A, Prista A, Maia JA (1999). Estudo da validade das medidas critério do Fitnessgram para a população escolar de Maputo. Revista da Sociedade Portuguesa de Educação Física 17/18: 111-116.

44. Ndamba, J (1986). Schistosomiasis: its effects on the physical performance of school children in Zimbabwe. Cent Afr J Med. 32(12):289-93.

45. Ndamba J, Makaza N, Munjoma M, Gomo E, Kaondera KC (1993). The physical fitness and work performance of agricultural workers infected with Schistosoma mansoni in Zimbabwe. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 87 (6), pp. 553-561.

46. Nkiama E (1993). Physical fitness status of school children et Bunia in Zaire. In: A. Classens; J. Lefevre and Eynde (eds.). World Wide Variation in Physical Fitness . Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 126-130.

47. Noakes TD, Benade AS, Jooste PL, Van Zyl F (1986). Analysis of the physical activity patterns of a rural Afrikaner population in the south-western Cape. South African Medical Journal 69:803-806.

48. OMS (1983). Mesure des modifications de I´Etat nutritionnel. Organisation Mondiale de la Santé. Genéve.

49. Pieterse S, Manandhar M, Ismail S (2002). The association between nutritional status and handgrip strength in older Rwandan refugees. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56(10):933-9.

50. Prista A (1994). Influência da actividade física e dos factores sócio-económicos sobre as componentes da estrutura do valor físico relacionado com a saúde. Estudo em crianças e jovens Moçambicanos. Dissertação apresentada às provas de Doutoramento. FCDEF-UP. Porto.

51. Prista A (1995). Crescimento, actividade física e aptidão física em países não industrializados: abordagem biocultural em crianças e jovens de Moçambique. Revista Agon 2:85-102.

52. Prista A, Marques AT, Maia JA (1997). Relationship between physical activity, socioeconomic status and physical fitness of 8-15 year old youth from Mozambique. American Journal of Human Biology 9: 449-57.

53. Prista A (1998). Nutritional status, physical fitness and physical activity in children and youth in Maputo, Mozambique. In: J. Parizková and A.P.Hills (eds.) – Physical fitness and nutrition during growth. Medicine and Sport Science Reviews. Basel: Karger, 94-104.

54. Prista A, Maia JA, Marques AT (1998). Sexual dimorphism in physical fitness. A multivariate study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 5:S155.

55. Prista A, Marques AT, Maia JA (1999). Allometric scaling of physical performance in children and youth forma Maputo, Mozambique. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 5:S92.

56. Prista A, Marques AT, Maia JA (2000). Empirical validation of na instrument to measure habitual physical activity in youth from Maputo, Mozambique. American Journal of Human Biology 12(4):437-446.

57. Prista A, Maia JA, Beunen G, Damasceno A (2002). Saúde, crescimento e desenvolvimento. Um estudo epidemiológico em crianças e jovens de Moçambique. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Lisboa.

58. Prista A, Maia JA, Damasceno A, Beunen G (2003). Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: implications for fitness, activity, and health in school-age children and adolescents from Maputo, Mozambique. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 77(4):952-9.

59. Saranga S, Prista A, Maia JA (2002). Mudanças nos níveis de aptidão física em função de alterações políticas e sócio-económicas de 1992-1999. In: Prista, A; Maia, JAR; Saranga, S; Marques, AT (eds.). Saúde, crescimento e desenvolvimento – Um estudo epidemiológico em crianças e jovens de Moçambique. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, pp.71-87.

60. Sparling PB, Noakes TD, Steyn K, Jordaan E, Jooste PL, Bourne LT, Badenhorst C (1994). Level of physical activity and CHD risk factors in black South African men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 26(7):896-902.

61. Spurr GB (1988). Body size, physical work capacity and productivity in hard work: Is bigger better? In Waterlow (ed.): Linear growth retardation in less developed countries. New York-Raven Press, 14:215-224.

62. Stephenson LS, Latham MC, Kurz KM, Miller D, Kinoti SN, Oduori ML (1985). Urinary iron loss and physical fitness of Kenyan children with urinary schistosomiasis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 34 (2), pp. 322-330.

63. Stephenson LS, Latham MC, Kinoti SN, Kurz KM, Brigham H (1990). Improvements in physical fitness of Kenyan schoolboys infected with hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides following a single dose of albendazole. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 84: 277-282.

64. Stephenson LS, Latham MC, Adams EJ, Kinoti SN, Pertet A (1993). Physical fitness, growth and appetite of Kenyan school boys with Hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides infections are improved four months after a single dose of albendazole. Journal of Nutrition 123(6): 1036-1046.

65. Toriola A, Igbokwe N (1986). Age and sex differences in motor performances of preschool Nigerian children. Journal of Sports Sciences 4:219-227.

66. Walker AP, Faith WB, Barbara DR, Smit PJ (1972). Running performance in South African Bantu children with schistosomiasis. Tropical and Geographical Medicine 24(1972):347-352.

67. World Health Organization (1983). Measuring chance in nutritional status: Guidelines for assessing the nutritional status impact of supplementary feeding programs for vulnerable groups. Geneve: World Health Organization.

68. World Health Organization Working Group (1986). Use and interpretation of anthropometric indicators of nutritional status. Bulletin of World Health Organization. 64:929-941.

69. World Health Organization (1995). Physical status: the use and interpretation of anthropometry. Report of a WHO Expert Committee. WHO Technical Report Series 854, Geneve: World Health Organization.

70. Wyndham CH (1973). The Work capacity of rural and urban Bantu in South Africa. South African Medical Journal. 47(28):1239-1244.