Socioeconomic Determinants of the Anthropometric Characteristics and Motor Abilities of Polish Male University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in 2000-2018.

Robert Podstawski,Michał Boraczyński,Piotr Gronek,Piotr Markowski,Dariusz Choszcz

doi:10.3390/ijerph17041300

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between socioeconomic factors, anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities of male university students. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from 2000 to 2018 on 2691 male university students aged 19.98 ± 1.05 years, who were randomly selected from students attending obligatory physical education (PE) classes. The participants’ body mass and height were measured, and students participated in 13 motor ability tests that assessed their speed/agility, flexibility, strength and endurance abilities. Multiple independent samples were compared with the Kruskal–Wallis test or the mean-ranks post-hoc test when significant differences were observed in the participants’ motor abilities. Results: Factors such as the place of permanent residence, students’ monthly budget, and mother’s and father’s educational background, significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the body mass, BMI and motor abilities of first-year university students. The participants’ motor abilities (speed/agility, flexibility—partly, strength, strength endurance, and endurance) were most frequently and most significantly determined by their monthly budgets, and were least frequently and least significantly determined by their place of permanent residence. Conclusions: The students’ body height, BMI and motor abilities generally increased with a rise in population in the place of permanent residence, monthly budget, and the parents’ educational attainment.

Highlights

The relationships between physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF) and health have been relatively well established in adults [1]
The correlations between anthropometric characteristics vs. the place of permanent residence and the students’ monthly budgets were presented in Table 2, and the relationships between motor abilities and remaining environmental factors are presented in Tables 3 and 4
The residents of cities with a population below and above 50,000 (P2, P3) performed significantly better in the standing broad jump and the medicine ball backward throw than their rural counterparts (P1)

Summary

Introduction

The relationships between physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF) and health have been relatively well established in adults [1]. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked with a reduction in PF levels [2]. The determinants of PA and, PF have been explored by models incorporating demographic, psychological and social explanatory variables, and socioeconomic determinants [3]. Socioeconomic determinants are socioeconomic factors (income, parents’ educational background, size and type of the social environment) that. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1300; doi:10.3390/ijerph17041300 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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