Effect of physical activity level on body build and physical fitness of girls and boys aged 10-19 years

Abstract

Aim: The study was aimed to evaluate the somatic build and physical fitness of children and adolescents aged 10-19 years depending on their physical activity. Basic procedures: The survey was conducted in the years 2008-2009 with 925 girls and 1016 boys aged 10-19 years, attending rural and urban schools in the Bielsk District. The following basic anthropometric measures were taken: body height, body mass, arm and shank circumference, thickness of three skinfolds (over the triceps, over the scapula, and over the iliac crest). The Body Mass Index (BMI) was computed from values of body height and mass measurements. Numeric values of somatotypological components were calculated as well; these including: endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy. Physical activity was evaluated based on the trials of the European Physical Fitness Test battery, and stratified acc. to a 3-level scale: low activity – up to 1 hour, moderate activity – between 1 and 3 hours, and high activity – 4 and more hours. In groups of the physical activity of girls and boys, values of somatic traits and results of motor tests were normalized with the use of equations indicating dependencies of mean values and standard deviations on age, according to Stupnicki et al. [1]. Significance of differences between the studied groups was evaluated using the analysis of variance ANOVA with “post-hoc” Newman-Keuls test. Results: The surveyed girls and boys with the highest physical activity were characterized by the lowest values of somatic traits, except for body height, and by the best results of physical fitness. Greater differences between results were observed in the girls. Conclusions: A correlation was demonstrated between the physical activity and somatic build and physical fitness of the surveyed girls and boys. Key words: physical activity, physical development, physical fitness, children and adolescents