Regional, socioeconomic, and health determinants of physical fitness in school children: insights from a National Olympic Fitness Project

This study explores regional differences in physical fitness among Slovak school children, focusing on predictors such as school infrastructure, socioeconomic factors, life expectancy, and body mass index (BMI). It aims to provide a comprehensive, gender-specific analysis of systemic and environmental determinants influencing physical fitness. Data from the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee's National Physical Fitness Project during the 2023-24 academic year included 42 741 students aged 12-16 from all eight regions of Slovakia. Physical fitness was assessed using the EUROFIT test battery. Predictors included regional socioeconomic indicators (e.g. unemployment, education), health determinants (e.g. BMI, life expectancy), and school infrastructure. Factor analysis reduced multicollinearity, and regression models were stratified by gender across Grades 6-7 and 8-9. BMI emerged as the strongest negative predictor of physical fitness (-0.64 for younger boys, -0.41 for older boys). Life expectancy positively influenced fitness (up to 0.50 for older boys). Higher knowledge capital was associated with lower fitness, especially in younger students (-0.26 for boys and -0.15 for girls). Social vulnerability and gender equality had a pronounced negative impact on girls (-0.68), while insufficient school infrastructure reduced fitness in older boys (-0.44). The regression models explained 58%-71% of variance in physical fitness (R2 = 0.58-0.71). This study highlights the multifactorial nature of physical fitness disparities among school children, emphasizing the roles of BMI, socioeconomic factors, and school infrastructure. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing systemic inequalities to improve physical fitness and health equity in school-aged populations.