To investigate the effects of a corrective functional exercise program on postural thoracic kyphosis in teenagers in China. A single-blind randomized controlled trial including students with a thoracic kyphosis angle (TKA) >40° measured using the SpinalMouse. China Institute of Sport Science and three middle schools in Beijing, China. A total of 181 subjects were included in this trial; of these, 164 subjects were included in the analyses (intervention group, n = 81; control group, n = 83). The intervention group received a functional exercise program designed to correct postural thoracic kyphosis, and the control group received an exercise program designed in accordance with the state-regulated curriculum. The primary outcome variable was TKA. Secondary outcome variables were lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), sacral angle (SA), and incline angle (INA) measured in the upright position; thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine range of motion (ROM) and INA ROM (change in center of gravity) measured in the forward bending and extended positions; and changes in TKA, LLA, SA, and INA measured during the Matthiass test. There were significant differences in pretest and posttest TKA in both groups (intervention group: pretest 47.09 ± 5.45, posttest 38.31 ± 9.18, P < 0.0001; control group: pretest 47.47 ± 6.06, posttest 43.59 ± 7.49, P < 0.0001). After adjustment for gender and pretest values, there were significant differences in posttest TKA, change in SA, and thoracic ROM in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The corrective functional exercise program designed for this study improved exaggerated thoracic kyphosis in teenagers.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the 15-year trends of handgrip strength-to-weight (relative HS) and assess the association between relative HS and hypertension among Chinese adults aged 20–69. Methods: Using a complex, stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling, we analyzed data collected from 712,442 adults aged 20–69 years in four successive national surveys (2000–2014). We used a handheld dynamometer to measure strength and divided by body weight to calculate the relative HS. Blood pressure was recorded with a sphygmomanometer and hypertension was defined as resting systolic blood pressure at least 140 mmHg or diastolic at least 90 mmHg. The Mann-Kendall trend test examined trends in relative HS over time. We also computed odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) by tertile of relative HS and examined the association between relative HS and hypertension. Results: The relative HS level decreased with the increase of age in both male and females (p _trend <0.001). In each of four surveys, one interquartile decrease in relative HS was associated with an increased risk of hypertension by 44% (OR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.40–1.47), 58% (OR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.54–1.62), 48% (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.45–1.52), 43% (OR = 1.43, 95%CI: 1.40–1.47), respectively. Conclusion: In the Chinese adult population, the relative HS level decreased from 2000 to 2014 across all ages in both males and females. A lower relative HS was associated with a higher risk of hypertension. The findings provided evidence for the association between muscle strength and hypertension in large-scaled population.

CONTEXT: Non-specific back pain has become a public health problem affecting adolescent health. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships between abnormalities in spinal morphology and non-specific back pain among adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional s

There is a scarcity of studies on the physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents who live at high altitudes. This study aimed to objectively assess PA of children and adolescents living in the Tibet at altitudes over 3500 m and to examine its difference by ethnicity, gender, age/grade, and body weight status groups. A sample of 397 students aged 9–18 years were recruited from 7 schools in Lhasa, Tibet. PA was measured using accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X) for seven consecutive days and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was identified using the Evenson (2008) cut-points. Participant MVPA was 62.3 min/day, with 65.5 min/day during weekdays and 54.1 min/day on weekends. Indigenous Tibetans were more active than Hans, and boys had more MVPA than girls. Age had a significantly weak negative correlation with MVPA. There was no significant difference in MVPA between the non-overweight and overweight/obese groups. Overall, only 9.1% (13.8% in boys and 4.5% in girls) accumulated at least 60 min of MVPA per day. Compared to their counterparts in other regions, the daily MVPA of children and adolescents living on the Tibetan Plateau at altitudes over 3500 m was relatively high. However, the proportion of meeting the WHO’s PA recommendations was extremely low.

Purpose: To investigate the changes in Chinese adults’ physical activity (PA) behavior and determinants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 1028 adults (aged 19–59 years) were recruited from 127 urban and rural neighborhoods in China using stratified three-stage probability sampling. Data collection was conducted in December 2019 and July 2020. Results: Compared with the data before the pandemic, individuals’ weekly moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) decreased significantly from 139 min to 120 min, seven months after the outbreak (p = 0.01), with female and rural populations displaying a more significant decrease (p = 0.02). Overall, 13.7% of participants met the PA guidelines (World Health Organization) both before and during the pandemic, while 21.8% met the guidelines only before the pandemic and 18.1% increased their PA and met the PA guidelines during the pandemic. A total of 46.4% did not meet the PA guidelines before or during the pandemic. Determinants of PA behavior change before and during the pandemic included sports skills, self-determined motivation and support from sports organizations. Conclusions: The Chinese adults’ PA levels decreased significantly from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among the female population. It is suggested that the enhancement of self-determined motivation, improvement of sport skills, and support from sports organizations might be effective in facilitating individuals’ engagement in PA during the pandemic.

Few comprehensive studies have assessed the long-term trends in physical fitness and nutritional status among Chinese adults, along with the socioeconomic inequalities. This study aimed to bridge this gap by examining the temporal changes and the evolution of socioeconomic disparities in physical fitness and nutritional status among Chinese adults aged 20–59, based on five successive national surveillance surveys. We integrated data from five consecutive rounds of National Physical Fitness Surveillance (2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, and 2020) among Chinese adults aged 20–59 years. BMI was categorized into underweight (<18.5 kg/m²), overweight (24.0–27.9 kg/m²), and obesity (≥28.0 kg/m²). Central obesity was defined as a waist circumference ≥90 cm for males and ≥85 cm for females. A composite physical fitness indicator (PFI) was calculated by aggregating the Z-scores of all six components. Provinces were ranked by GDP per capita ($) and stratified into three socioeconomic strata from least (T1) to most developed (T3). Generalized additive models (GAMs), adjusted for age and sex, were employed to assess the associations between nutritional status, PFI, and both per capita GDP and urbanization levels. A total of 716,790 Chinese adults aged 20–59 were included in the analysis. The PFI score declined from 0.71 in 2000 to −0.84 in 2020, with a particularly sharp annual decline between 2014 and 2020. The underweight prevalence declined from 5.54% in 2000 to 3.51% in 2020, while the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and central obesity increased to 35.84%, 15.05%, and 32.10% in 2020, respectively. After 2005, the urban-rural disparities in physical fitness narrowed, whereas the gap between most and least developed regions widened, with urban and high-SES regions consistently showing better fitness. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and central obesity in urban and economically developed regions was higher than in less economically developed and rural regions in earlier years, but this pattern reversed over time. The underweight prevalence showed the opposite trend. With increasing GDP per capita, PFI initially rose before declining at higher levels, and it showed a positive correlation with urbanization. Overweight prevalence increased with GDP per capita but slowed at higher levels, while obesity and central obesity exhibited an N-shaped relationship with GDP per capita. Moreover, prevalence of overweight, obesity, and central obesity were positively correlated with urbanization. During the first two decades of the 21st century, China experienced rapid economic growth accompanied by declining physical fitness and rising prevalence of overweight, obesity, and central obesity among adults aged 20–59 years. Inequalities in nutritional status between urban and rural areas and across socioeconomic strata reversed. Less developed and rural regions may face dual challenges of deteriorating physical fitness and the growing burden of overnutrition, which requires urgent attention. The complex interplay between socioeconomic development, urbanization, and physical health further emphasizes the need for health policies tailored to diverse socioeconomic contexts and subpopulations. 10.13039/501100001809 National Natural Science Foundation of China (72474005, 72122001) and the Peking University Health Science Center-Weifang Joint Research Center for Maternal and Child Health (PKUWF-Y12).