Emilio Villa-González

• Ph.D in Biomedicine
• Professor at University of Granada

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is widely known for its outstanding benefits across several health domains including physical, psychological, social, and cognitive in children and adolescents. However, global trends indicate how low levels of PA and physical fitness among adolescents are increasing, with over 80% failing to meet the World Heal...

Introduction This article outlines the rationale and methodology of the ENERGY expenditure of COmmuting to school study (the ENERGYCO study), a cluster-randomized controlled trial. The ENERGYCO study is divided into two phases: Phase I will aim; to assess the physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) of different modes of commuting to school (i.e...

Scientific evidence suggests that meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines is associated with numerous health benefits. One concept that emphasizes an individual’s active lifestyle is physical literacy (PL). However, the relationship between PL and 24 h movement guidelines in adolescents has not been analyzed to date. The aim of this study was to ex...

Background The distribution of time across physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep appears to be essential for the management of obesity. However, the impact of reallocating time among these behaviors, collectively known as 24-h movement behaviors, remains underexplored. Objective This study examines the theoretical effects of reallocati...

Introducción y Objetivos: La inactividad física y los bajos niveles de fitness muscular son cada vez más comunes en niños y adolescentes, especialmente después de las restricciones ocasionadas del COVID-19. Esto suscita la necesidad de evaluar el fitness muscular como componente de la condición física vinculado a la salud en esta población, sin emb...

Background the independent association between parental obesity, sleep and lifestyle habits with cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents has been widely explored in the literature. Our study represents a novel approach to comprehensively investigate a complex model encompassing various aspects associated with cardiometabolic risk i...

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability, reproducibility, and feasibility of the Youth Activity Profile Questionnaire (YAP-SL) in the Chilean version (YAP-C) in a sample of children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 160 youth, 59 children (5–11 years old), and 101 adolescents (12–17 years old) from the city of Viña del Mar (...

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of different exercise interventions involving chronic exercise (endurance and strength groups) carried out in physical education on physical fitness and cognitive functions. A group of 72 adolescent students from the city of Melilla (Spain) aged between 13 and 17 years old (M = 15.38, SD = 0.78) part...

Mental illnesses are prevalent among children and adolescents worldwide and may be associated with food consumption. This protocol aims to evaluate the association between food consumption and mental health in children and adolescents through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The electronic search will include keywords related to childhood, ad...

Parents´ perceptions can influence their children´s mode of commuting to school. In this sense, the purposes of this study were to compare parental barriers towards active commuting to school (ACS) between Ecuadorian and Spanish children, and to analyze the associations between those barriers and the children’s mode of commuting. Descriptive and co...

Objective This study evaluated the relationship between physical literacy (PL) and muscular fitness (MF) as well as muscle-strengthening activities (MSA) in adolescents. Methods A secondary cross-sectional study included 823 adolescents (45.1% boys) from the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities Study. The Spanish Perceived Physical Literacy In...

El desarrollo de enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) ateroscleróticas comienza en edades tempranas y está influenciado por factores genéticos y ambientales. La literatura actual propone el entrenamiento de fuerza (EF) como un medio para reducir el riesgo de ECV y mejorar el perfil lipídico en niños y adolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad. Con el ob...

To verify the role of the combination of fitness and fatness in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study performed with 2786 children and adolescents (6 to 17 years). Fitness was determined by the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) six-minute walking and runni...

Background: the independent association between parental obesity, sleep and lifestyle habits with cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents have been widely explored in the literature. Our study represents a novel approach to comprehensively investigate a complex model encompassing various aspects associated with cardiometabolic risk...

Explicación del proceso de evaluación en la LOMLOE, desde el enfoque competencial más general hasta las situaciones de aprendizaje, que en este caso se centra en una relacionadas con las acrobacias y su contextualización en el Día de la Educación Física en la Calle. Se presenta el proceso de evaluación de la misma.

Based on self-determination theory (SDT), the aims of this study were to adapt the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale to active commuting to and from school, as well as to gather information about validity and reliability of the Basic Psychological Need Frustration Scale in Active Commuting to and from School (BPNFS-ACS). A total of 285 children an...

Background The active commuting to school behaviour is an opportunity to increase the physical activity levels. The most frequent used tool to assess the mode of commuting to school is self-reporting by children or by their parents. However, there is a lack of information about the validity between both, children and parents. So, the purpose is to...

Objectives To verify the associations between prenatal and perinatal factors with offspring body mass index (BMI) and the moderator role of maternal BMI in this relationship. Methods Cross-sectional study developed with 1,562 children and adolescents aged between 6 and 17 years, as well as their mothers, from southern Brazil. The prenatal and peri...

La inactividad física, cada vez más frecuente entre los niños y las niñas, está asociada a diferentes problemas de salud, entre ellos, la dinapenia pediátrica, caracterizada por bajos niveles de aptitud muscular. Esto suscita la necesidad de implantar programas de Entrenamiento de Fuerza Pediátrico (EFP) para mejorar la salud en esta población. Est...

Objetivo: 1) Analizar la relación entre la condición física de estudiantes universitarios con el desempeño de los fundamentos técnicos individuales del baloncesto y 2) evaluar el cambio en el desempeño de los fundamentos técnicos individuales del baloncesto mediante la aplicación de una metodología de Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP). Métodos:...

Highlights: School-based muscle and bone strengthening exercises performed at least 3 days per week may serve to support the development of muscular fitness in girls and boysIntegrative interventions that include a variety of strength and conditioning activities seem to be a promising strategy to promote muscular fitness in school environmentFutur...

The aims of this study were; 1- Analyze the mode of commuting of the school children to school, the weight and type of school bags they were carrying and musculoskeletal pain separately by sex. 2- Analyze the association between weights of school bags with mode of commuting to school. A total of 76 children (8.8 ± 0.3 years, 50% children) participa...

Regular participation in youth resistance training (RT) programs has been shown to elicit favorable short-term influences on diverse health dimensions. However, traditional concerns and misconceptions persist, although a compelling body of research indicated that supervised resistance exercises can be a safe and effective protocol of training for c...

Background Previous studies have investigated weight loss caused by exercise following bariatric surgery. However, in most cases, the training program is poorly reported; the exercise type, volume, and intensity are briefly mentioned; and the sample size, selection criteria, and follow-up time vary greatly across studies. Purpose The EFIBAR study...

The objective of this study was to verify whether residential density and connectivity between streets are mediators on the association between perceived environmental factors and active commuting to school (ACS) in Brazilian adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with a random sample of 1,130 adolescents (52.7% girls) aged between 14 to 20 y...

This infographic describes the rationale and protocol of a school-based randomized controlled trial called “Cycling and Walk to School” (PACO, by its Spanish acronym) that aims to promote cycling to and from school and physical activity (PA) in adolescents. This study will examine the effects of this intervention in cycling and active commuting to...

Aim: The aims of this study were (1) to examine the associations between self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health-related physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility), and mode of commuting to and from school in Spanish children, and separately by gender and (2) to analyse the difference in...

Higher sedentary time and lower physical activity (PA) are associated with a poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children. The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze the sedentary time, objectively measured PA levels (light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)), and HRQoL dimensions (physical well-being...

This manuscript describes the rationale and protocol of a school-based randomized controlled trial called “Cycling and Walk to School” (PACO, by its Spanish acronym) that aims to promote cycling to and from school and physical activity (PA) in adolescents. This study will examine the effects of this intervention in cycling and active commuting to a...

This study examines trends in the rates of active commuting to school (ACS) in Spanish children (n=18,343; 8.93±1.68) and adolescents (n=18,438; 14.11±1.58) aged 6‐18 years from 2010 to 2017. Given the study period included the economic crisis in Spain (2008‐2013), the second aim of this study was to compare ACS rates during and after the economic...

Background: Choreographic group-based fitness classes are the most common type of physical activity practiced by women, being a viable and sustainable strategy to improve general health. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a 16-week healthy lifestyle program, based on choreographic fitness classes, on cardiometabolic health-rel...

Objectives To determine if subpopulations of students benefit equally from school-based physical activity interventions in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity. To examine if physical activity intensity mediates improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness. Design Pooled analysis of individual participant data from controlled tria...

Considerable public health efforts across the globe have focused on promoting physical activity (PA) and minimizing sedentary behaviour (SB) in youths. However, it is important to have valid, reliable and feasible methods to assess these behaviours in youths. The purpose of this study was to analyse the feasibility and reliability of the Spanish ve...

The purposes of this study were: (a) to describe the patterns of modes of commuting to school (children) and to work (parents) separated by gender and age, (b) to validate the questions on children’s mode of commuting to and from school according to their parents, and (c) to analyse the reliability of a family questionnaire focused on commuting to...

Es fundamental elaborar un protocolo de evaluación para garantizar rigor y homogeneidad en cualquier estudio de investigación. Asimismo, se requieren consideraciones específicas si la investigación se desarrolla en contexto educativo y en diferentes centros educativos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo describir el protocolo de evaluación del estudi...

Current literature shows studies that question the safety of the practices carried out in high-intensity training modalities such as CrossFit®, Cross Training or High-Intensity Functional Training, which may lead to a greater risk in the prevalence of injuries. The aim of this study was to analyze in detail the prevalence of injuries occurring in t...

Background Active commuting to school (ACS) is an important source to increase the total daily physical activity in youth and improve their health. How the ACS rates change along the time is of interest. The objective of this study was to examine trends in the rates of ACS in a large sample of Spanish children and adolescents aged 6–18 years from 2...

A mother’s healthy conduct may lead to the healthy conduct of their children. Thus, this study aimed to verify the role of demographic factors in the relationship between mothers´ physical activity (PA) and commuting to work with children and adolescent’s PA and commuting to school. This cross-sectional study comprised 1421 children and adolescents...

Active commuting to and from school has several health implications. Self-reporting is the most common assessment tool, but there is a high heterogeneity of questionnaires in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to analyse the feasibility and reliability of the Spanish “New Version of Mode and Frequency of Commuting To and From...

Background: Understanding the metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence at the national level is important to develop effective programs and strategies to prevent and control MetS. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of MetS according to gender and aging stage, and its association with potential factors in older individuals +60 years of age in Co...

This study aims to analyze the effect of two dance-focused and choreographic fitness classes on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in sedentary worker women. Methods: 65 sedentary middle-aged worker women (38 ± 7.3 years old) completed a 16-week intervention randomly assigned to: (1) dance fitness group based on Zumba Fitness classes (DF group,...

The relationship between physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and academic achievement in young people is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between PA, CRF and academic achievement in 152 children according to sex (average age of 8.6 ± 0.3 years) in southern Spain. A tri-axial accelerometer was used t...

Background: The protective properties of high physical fitness levels on health are manifest independently of age, sex, fatness, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other clinical factors. However, women are less active than men, which contributes to low physical fitness and a high risk of CVD. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the effe...

Background: Severe and morbid obesity are increasing globally, particularly in women. As BMI increases, the likelihood of anovulation is higher. The primary aim of the EMOVAR clinical trial is to examine, over the short (16 weeks) and medium (12 months) term, the effects of a supervised physical exercise program (focused primarily on aerobic and r...

Ávila- García, M., Yuste-Hidalgo, F., Villa-García, E., Tercedor, P. y Huertas-Delgado, F.J. (2020) Tiempo sedentario y actividad física en escolares de Educación Primaria durante los recreos según las características de los patios escolares. En J. Sevil-Serrrano, G. Bermejo-Martínez, A. Corral-Abós y M. Sanz-Remacha (Eds.) Congreso Internacional “...

Existen estudios que han conseguido establecer una relación entre el rendimiento cognitivo y académico de los alumnos y sus niveles de condición física. Los objetivos de esta investigación son estudiar la correlación existente entre el nivel de condición física y la composición corporal con el rendimiento académico, así como analizar la correlación...

Daily sedentary working hours contribute negatively to body composition, cardiovascular and metabolic health, especially in women, who are usually less active than men. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of two trending choreographed fitness group-workouts on the body composition and cardiovascular and metabolic health of sedenta...

Ávila-García, M., Yuste-Hidalgo, F., Villa-González, E., Tercedor, P. y Huertas-Delgado, FJ. (7-9 de noviembre de 2019). Tiempo sedentario y actividad física en escolares de Educación Primaria durante los recreos según las características de los patios escolares [Sesión de congreso]. Congreso Internacional “CAPAS Cité-Ciudad” - Liderazgo en la Prom...

Active commuting to school is an opportunity to increase physical activity levels in children and adolescents. However, the prevalence of this behavior continues to decline in the last decade in most countries. This research aims to study the reliability and feasibility of a questionnaire of commuting to/from school in children and adolescents. The...

Background & aims The dairy intake is associated with body composition; however, its effect is controversial and remains unknown in relation to exercise interventions as Zumba Fitness®. Thus, we analyzed the body composition and its relation to dairy intake in sedentary employees who participated in a healthy program based on nutrition education an...

Background and objectives: Active commuting to school (ACS) is a promising strategy to increase the daily physical activity (PA) in youths. However, more studies are required to objectively quantify the mode of commuting to school, as well as the health impact of this behavior. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to objectively determine the mod...

Background: There is increasing evidence of weight regain in patients after bariatric surgery (BS), generally occurring from 12 to 24 months postoperatively. Postoperative exercise has been suggested to ad long-term weight maintenance and to improve physical function in BS patients. However, there are a limited number of intervention studies inves...

Background and objectives: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Mind–body therapies (MBTs) seem to be effective for improving health in different populations; however, whether a positive effect occurs in children and adolescents with ADHD is still controversial....

Background and Objectives: Active commuting to and from university (ACU) could be a strategy to increase physical activity levels (PA) and promote health in young university students. We aimed to a) examine the patterns of commuting to university in Chilean students; b) the association between the mode of commuting to and from university and socio-...

Background: Daily behaviours such as active commuting to school (ACS) could be a source of physical activity, contributing to the improvement of youth cardiovascular health, however, the relationship between ACS and other aspects of a youth’s health, such as sleep duration and breakfast consumption, require further clarification. The aims of this s...

Active commuting to and from school (ACS) could help to increase daily physical activity levels in youth; however, this association remains unknown in Ecuadorian youth. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to determine the patterns of commuting to and from school and (2) to analyze the associations between ACS, physical activity (PA), and sedentar...

There is currently a consensus about the positive effects of physical exercise on cognition. However, the exercise intensity-dependent effect on executive function remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the acute effects of high-intensity aerobic interval training (HIIT), progressive resistance training (PRT), or combined train...

La aparición de lesiones por sobreuso del complejo articular del hombro en la disciplina de natación en triatletas jóvenes anima a una profundización en el estudio de métodos efectivos para la prevención de dichas lesiones. Objetivo: Analizar la efectividad de un programa de intervención diseñado para la prevención de lesiones del complejo articula...

Aim To study the associations of weather conditions with the travel mode choice for commuting to and from school. Methods A total of 6,979 Spanish youths aged 7 to 18 years old (80% adolescents aged 12‐18 years old, 51% male) completed a 5‐day survey of mode of commuting to school in autumn, winter, and spring. Weather data from the nearest weathe...

Background: A high percentage of Chilean university students are inactive. Aim: To determine differences in physical activity (PA) levels and energy expenditure in a group of university students according to their length of stay in the university. Material and Methods: We studied 56 students aged 22 ± 2 years (29 women). They wore a triaxial accele...

This article reports on a study of parental perceived barriers to active commuting to school (ACS) in youth in Ecuador. The study emphasized the importance of determining the parental barriers to ACS in order to develop effective interventions. Traffic volume/speed, crime, and distance are the main Ecuadorian parental barriers. Distance was a negat...

Background: There is limited evidence concerning how active commuting (AC) is associated with health benefits in young. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between AC to and from campus (walking) and obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a sample of Colombian university students. Methods: A total of 784 university students (78.6...

The onset of overuse injuries of the shoulder joint complex in the discipline of swimming in young triathletes prompts the need to deepen the study of effective methods for the prevention of such injuries. Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of an intervention program designed for the prevention of injuries of the shoulder joint complex in the...

Active commuting to school has been recognized as a potential avenue to increase physical activity in children and adolescents. However, active commuting to school has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The main aim in the current study was to update a previous systematic review on interventions focused on activ...

Background The lack of physical activity and increasing time spent in sedentary behaviours during childhood place importance on developing low cost, easy-toimplement school-based interventions to increase physical activity among children. The PREVIENE Project will evaluate the effectiveness of five innovative, simple, and feasible interventions (ac...

Cuando se trabaja con niños y adolescentes en el área de la condición física, lo primero que alguien se pregunta es cómo puede conocer su nivel de aptitud física. ¿Serán individuos activos, con buena condición sca? ¿Con qué test es posible veriicarlo? Los tests seleccionados ¿están relacionados con la salud del alumnado? ¿Cómo interpretar e informa...

Objective To investigate the effects of a short exercise intervention based on the use of a Zumba Fitness ® programme on the quality of life (QoL) in inactive adult workers. Design Non-experimental pre-test/post-test study involving one experimental group of inactive university workers. Setting Riobamba in the Andean region of central Ecuador. M...

To evaluate the relationship between Self-rated health (SRH) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in a sample of children and adolescents enrolled in official schools in Bogotá, Colombia. A cross-sectional study was performed with 7,402 children and adolescents between 9 and 17 years of age. Participants were asked to rate their health based on eigh...

Aim: We explored the rates of children who actively commuted to school, both accompanied and unaccompanied, and identified their safety perceptions. Methods: This cross-sectional study focused on 745 children, aged 6-12 years, from public schools in the Spanish Granada region. They completed a questionnaire, providing personal data, their school...

Background Choices of travel mode for commuting to school and weather conditions have been previously associated. However, it is unknown if the usual commuting mode is modified by specific weather conditions. The aim of the study was to examine if weather conditions modify the usual mode of commuting to and from school in Spanish youth. Methods A...

Background Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in most countries of Latin America and physical inactivity is an important risk factor. Daily behaviors such as active commuting to school can provide a significant source of physical activity for children to improve the cardiovascular health. Parental perceptions of the environment...

Objective: To analyse the association between cycling to/from school and body composition, physical fitness, and metabolic syndrome among a sample of Colombian children and adolescents. Study design: During the 2014–2015 school years, we examined a cross-sectional component of the FUPRECOL study. Participants included 2,877 youths (54.5% girls) fro...

Los estigmas sociales frente a la obesidad pueden marcar la vida de las personas de forma negativa, reduciendo su participación en actividades físicas, debido al impacto considerable que ejercen sobre el bienestar emocional y psicológico de las personas. Los futuros profesionales de la Educación Física con estigmas sociales frente a la obesidad, po...

PURPOSE. Obesity and high body fat are related to diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in all ethnic groups. Based on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition of MetS, the aim of the present study was to compare body adiposity indexes (BAIs) and to assess their various cut-off values for the prediction of MetS in university students...

The purpose of this study was two-fold: to analyze the association between muscular fitness (MF) and clustering of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components, and to determine if fatness parameters mediate the association between MF and MetS clustering in Colombian collegiate students. This cross-sectional study included a total of 886 (51.9% women) heal...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the major public health problems worldwide. The objective of the present study is to investigate the prevalence and the associated variables of MetS in Colombian collegiate students. This cross-sectional study included a total of 890 (52% women) healthy collegiate students (21.3 ±3.2 years old). The prevalence of...

Background: Both fetal growth restriction and prematurity have been associated with cardiometabolic risk in youth and adults, however, data on their combined effects on cardiometabolic health in youth are scarce. Aims: This study aimed at assessing the effects of birth weight and gestational age combined on life-course cardiovascular risk factors...

Background: Understanding parental barriers is crucial to promote active commuting to school since the parental perceptions influence how young people commute. This study examined parental barriers to active commuting to school among Spanish children and adolescents, and their association with their gender and the usual mode of commuting. Methods...

A recently body adiposity index (BAI = (hip circumference)/((height)(1.5))-18) has been developed and validated in adult populations. We aimed to assess the validity of BAI in a sample of Colombian collegiate young adults. The participants were 903 volunteers (52% females, mean age = 21.4 years ± 3.3). We used the Lin’s concordance correlation coef...

Abstract Background Active commuting to school has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The main objective was to investigate the effects of a school-based intervention on active commuting to school and health-related fitness in school-age children of Southern Spain. Methods A total of 494 children aged 8 to 11 ye...

Active commuting to school has health implications among young people. We aimed to (a) examine the patterns of commuting to school in children and adolescents regarding gender and area of residence, (b) study the association between distance from home to school and mode of commuting, and (c) identify the threshold distance below which young people...

Background: Active commuting to school (ACS) can contribute to daily physical activity (PA) levels in children and adolescents. The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of active commuting to and from school by bicycle and to identify the factors associated with the use of bicycles for active commuting to school based in a sample of...

Objetivo: analizar la concordancia de dos métodos de medición (Google MapsTM vs. Sistema de Información Geográfi ca) para la determinaciónde la distancia desde el domicilio familiar hasta el colegio.Métodos: un total de 542 escolares de entre 8-11 años de edad (media = 9,36 ± 0,6) del sur de España participaron en el estudio, facilitando ladirecció...