Physical health of high school students with different levels of motor activity

Abstract

The physical health of children and adolescents is an indicator of the sanitary and hygienic well-being of an educational establishments, reflects the efficiency of the physical education system at schools and the level of physical activity of schoolchildren. An analysis of physical health indicators (height, body weight, hemodynamic and physiometric indicators) in 252 tenth graders was carried out. It was noted that the majority of adolescents (70–82 %) had functional indicators within the age-sex norm; normal physical development was determined in 60 % of schoolchildren. The results of physical fitness tests showed that the «60 m run» was performed at the level of the gold GTO sign, with an unsatisfactory result of the «flexion and extension of the arms in a lying position» test in girls and low results of the «bend forward from a standing position» test in boys. Statistically significant differences were established in the results of pedometer testing among adolescents of health groups I and II (group 1) and schoolchildren with chronic diseases of health groups III and IV (group 2). The physical activity of adolescents in group 1 was 1817 steps higher on weekdays (p=0.000) and on weekends compared to peers in group 2. According to the survey and pedometer data, every third student (34.6 %) was characterized by a low level of physical activity, an average level was found in 49.5 % of tenth graders, and a high level in 15.9 % of schoolchildren. Thus, the average level of physical activity in most adolescents was at the level of 8–9 thousand steps per day and was characterized by low involvement in sports sections, which requires a system of measures to increase the motivation of children and adolescents to engage in physical education.