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World J Clin Pediatr. Jun 9, 2026; 15(2): 114903
Published online Jun 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.114903
Published online Jun 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v15.i2.114903
Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index of Nigerian youth: A FitnessGram-based assessment
Danladi Ibrahim Musa, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria
Andrew A Tyoakaa, Tavershima Kparev, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi 970101, Benue, Nigeria
Gregory J Welk, Department of Kinesiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States
Author contributions: Musa DI conceived the study, analyzed the data and wrote the draft of the manuscript; Tyoakaa AA participated in data analysis, literature search and preparation of the manuscript; Kparev T participated in data collection, literature search, and proofread the manuscript; Welk GJ participated in literature search and revised the manuscript critically for intellectual content; all authors have read and approved the final draft of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Benue State University Health Research Ethics Committee (No. BSUTH/MKD/HREC/2013/017).
Informed consent statement: All participants provided informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement – checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement – checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code and dataset available from the corresponding author at
Corresponding author: Danladi Ibrahim Musa, PhD, Professor, Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Faculty of Education, Anyigba 272102, Kogi, Nigeria. dimusa55@gmail.com
Received: October 10, 2025
Revised: November 7, 2025
Accepted: January 27, 2026
Published online: June 9, 2026
Processing time: 224 Days and 20.9 Hours
Revised: November 7, 2025
Accepted: January 27, 2026
Published online: June 9, 2026
Processing time: 224 Days and 20.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study assessed the proportion of Nigerian youth who met the FitnessGram criterion-referenced health standards for aerobic capacity (AC) and body composition. Achievement rates for AC were 82.7% among males and 78.7% among females. For body composition, both sexes showed high success rates – 94.5% for males and 96.9% for females. Compared with their American and European counterparts, Nigerian youth performed better on both health indicators. However, disparities were observed in AC, with older males and adolescent females more likely to fall short of the standards. Regular participation in aerobic physical activity is recommended to reduce future cardiovascular disease risk.