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Category: Project

Description: Introduction: Physical fitness is an important marker of current and future health. Composed of a set of parameters related to cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle fitness, body composition, balance, speed and coordination, it has been associated with different health outcomes in childhood and adolescence. Monitoring these parameters makes it possible to recognize behavioral patterns, and risk factors for different diseases and to develop evidence-based policies and recommendations. In this sense, physical fitness surveillance systems are an important monitoring tool. However, there is no clarity about the number of national surveillance systems, nor their main characteristics, such as their methodologies, and measurements performed, among others. Therefore, the main objective of this narrative review will be to analyze and discuss the surveillance systems of physical fitness of children and adolescents at the national level. Methods: A narrative review, based on systematic literature searches, surveillance systems page analysis, and expert opinion on the topic, will be conducted. The searches will be performed in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Web of Science. To identify national surveillance systems that might not have scientific production associated, and therefore, outside of electronic scientific databases, we will perform searches directly on Google, using simple descriptors such as "Surveillance system", "Physical fitness" and "child/adolescent". To help us in the search for surveillance systems that may not have been included in the first two stages, we will use the division regions of the world map of the World Health Organization (WHO) and we will seek to identify at least 2 experts from each region. The data extracted from excel and Google Forms will be summarized and presented in tables and figures and will allow a narrative review to be carried out to present an overview of the number of national surveillance systems developed worldwide, as well as to discuss the main ones. Aspects of the implementation, development, and relevance of these systems for decision-making and public health policies will be also of interest.