Eurofit Test Battery Research Articles

Physical fitness and psychosocial health in a sample of Dutch adolescents

Adolescence is characterized by profound changes in body and behavior, and not surprisingly during this developmental phase the risk of developing psychosocial problems increases dramatically. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship of both physical fitness and body composition with psychosocial health in adolescents (12–15 years). Data were collected in 2019–2020 in a representative sample of 361 Dutch adolescents (46.3% boys, age = 13.44 ± 0.43 years). Physical fitness and body composition were assessed by subtests of the Eurofit test battery assessing cardiorespiratory fitness (20 m Shuttle Run Test), muscular fitness (Broad Jump and Sit-Ups), speed-agility (10x5-m Shuttle Run Test and Fast Tapping Test), and body composition (Body Mass Index). Psychosocial health was assessed in four domains: self-concept (Competence Experience Scale for Adolescents), symptoms of depression (Child Depression Inventory), anxiety (State and Trait Anxiety Inventory) and ADHD (Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms). Multilevel regression analyses were performed in MLwin. Results showed that better cardiorespiratory fitness was related to better self-concept (β = 0.225; p < 0.001), less symptoms of depression (β = −0.263; p = 0.003), and lower levels of state (β = −0.239; p = 0.008) and trait anxiety (β = –232; p = 0.008). Furthermore, higher BMI was related to lower self-concept (β = −0.075; p = 0.019). Taken together, the results suggest that better cardiorespiratory fitness and lean body composition have a positive relationship with self-concept and that better cardiorespiratory fitness is related to less symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Physical fitness profile of rural versus urban primary school children in eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

PurposeAssessment of physical fitness (PF) in children as a health indicator is crucial for identifying areas requiring attention regarding the prevention of non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the PF profiles of rural and urban primary school children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.MethodsIn a cross-sectional survey, 520 consecutive primary school children (urban: 260, rural: 260, age: 6–13 years) recruited from 2 randomly selected schools were assessed with the Eurofit test battery. Four components of the test were assessed: standing long jump (SLJ), sit-ups (SU), 5-m shuttle run test (5m-SRT), and cricket ball throw (CBT). Composite z-scores for the tests were ranked by age and sex, and categorized into low, moderate, and high PF.ResultsUrban and rural children were statistically comparable (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &gt; 0.05) regarding their age, weight, and height but rural children had a significantly higher body mass index (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) than their urban-based counterparts. Rural children obtained significantly higher SLJ (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and SU scores (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and lower 5m-SRT scores (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) than those from the urban school but their CBT scores were statistically comparable (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.994). The prevalence of low PF status was significantly higher (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) among urban children (54.6%) compared with their rural counterparts (26.5%).ConclusionsPrevalence of low PF was higher among urban primary school learners compared with their rural counterparts. Place of residence should be considered when implementing effective interventions to promote physical activity and health.

HOW DOES PARTICIPATION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AFFECT PHYSICAL FITNESS ELEMENTS IN CHILDREN AGED 5-9?

This study was conducted to examine the effect of participation in physical activity on physical fitness parameters in children aged 5-9 years. A total of 83 children, 44 girls, and 39 boys, studying in a private primary school participated in the study voluntarily. The Eurofit Test Battery was used to evaluate the physical fitness levels of children. Within the scope of the Eurofit test battery; the body weight and height values of the children were measured. In the determination of motoric performances, flamingo balance, disc touch, sit-reach, standing long jump, sit-up, bent-arm hanging, and 5x10 meter sit-up tests were used. A personal information form prepared by the researchers was used to determine demographic characteristics. Whether the data is normally distributed or not was checked with kurtosis and skewness values. In the statistical analysis dimension; descriptive analysis (mean, standard deviation, median, min-max value, ratio, frequency), independent samples t test (Independent Samples t test) were used. In terms of children having an athlete license, a significant difference was found in their height, standing long jump test, sit-up test, bent-arm hanging test, 5x10 meter sit-up run test scores (p&gt;0.05). A significant difference was found in the findings of height, body weight, standing long jump test, sit-up test, bent arm hanging test, 5x10 meter sit-up run test in terms of children's participation in traditional children's games (p&gt;0.05). As a result, it has been determined that children's having an athlete's license increases their height, explosive strength, core strength endurance, upper extremity strength endurance, agility, and again, the students' participation in traditional children's games has positive effect on height, body weight, explosive strength, core strength endurance, upper extremity strength endurance and agility.&#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0891/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Physical fitness, cognitive functioning and academic achievement in healthy adolescents

PurposeExamine the association between health-related physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular fitness) and skill-related physical fitness (speed-agility) and both cognitive functions and academic achievement in adolescents (12–15 years). MethodsData of 423 Dutch adolescents were analyzed (46.8% boys, age = 13.45 ± 0.43 years). Physical fitness was assessed using five subtests of the Eurofit test battery measuring cardiorespiratory fitness (20 m Shuttle Run Test), muscular fitness (Broad Jump and Sit-Ups) and speed-agility (10 × 5 m Shuttle Run Test and Plate Tapping Test). Cognitive functions were assessed by the Digit Span Task, the Grid Task and an adapted version of the Attention Network Test. Finally, academic achievement was assessed by two standardized tests assessing mathematic skills and language skills. Multilevel regression analyses were performed in MlWin to examine the relations of interest adjusting for sex and age. ResultsMultilevel regression analysis showed that speed-agility was significantly related to visuospatial working memory (β = 0.159; p = 0.014), information processing and control (β = 0.238; p < 0.001) and interference control (β = 0.156; p = 0.039), but not to the other cognitive or academic achievement outcomes. Cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular fitness were not related to any of the cognitive or academic achievement outcomes. ConclusionThe results suggest that skill-related physical fitness is related to cognitive functions and health-related physical fitness is not. Therefore it can be argued that improved levels of skill-related physical fitness may lead to improved cognitive functioning.

Comparison of fitness levels between elementary school children with autism spectrum disorder and age‐matched neurotypically developing children

Low physical fitness is associated with reduced physical activity and increased cardiovascular diseases. To date, limited research has compared physical fitness levels between children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Therefore, the primary aim was to investigate if differences in fitness levels exist between children with ASD and age-matched neurotypically developing children (ND). The second aim was to examine if age, sex, height and weight could be used to predict potential fitness levels. The third aim was to examine if the developmental trajectory of fitness is comparable between children with ASD and ND children. The modified Eurofit test battery was used to compare fitness levels between 244 children aged 4-13 years old (n=152 ND and n=92 ASD). Independent samples t tests and regression analyses were used to investigate differences in fitness levels between the two groups. The results indicated that statistically significant differences exist in fitness levels between children with ASD when compared to ND children across all ages, favoring the ND children, with small to large effect sizes noted (p < 0.05, d=0.36-1.13). Regression analysis could not accurately predict fitness measurements in children with ASD but could for ND children. The developmental trajectories were significantly delayed on the 20 m sprint and standing broad jump for children with ASD when compared to ND children. Future studies should seek to address the disparities in physical fitness experienced by children with ASD by using relevant neuromuscular interventions.

The Investigation of Acquisition Sufficiency of Physical Education Lesson Aims in A Special Education School in Turkey. A Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to examine the acquisition sufficiency of physical education lesson goals with the help of Eurofit Test Battery. The study included 41 students with moderate and severe intellectual disability (ID) (9 female, 32 male and 29 mentally retarded, 6 down syndrome (DS) and 5 autism) who were studying at Recep Birsin Özen Special Education School in Erzurum in Turkey. Physical education lessons were conducted an hour for a day and two days for each week during eight weeks. Before and after 8 weeks of study, Eurofit Tests were applied after measuring the height and the weight of the students. Data were compared in Spss 20 statistics program at p&amp;lt;0.05 level. In Eurofit Test parameters of the students with moderate and severe ID; it was found a difference statically in pre-test-post-test comparisons of flamingo balance, plate tapping, sit-up, sit and reach, standing broad jump and 10x5 metre shuttle run. In the physical education and sports classes, the goals chosen according to the students' level improved the physical capacities of the students. The individual goals chosen for the students in the special education school affiliated to the Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education contributed to the development of balance, fastness, leg strength, upper body movement speed and flexibility of the students and did not only contribute to the development of hand strength, arm strength and abdominal muscle strength of the students. The results of our study and the results of previous studies are parallel.

Preschool physical activity and fitness predicts conceptual, verbal and perceptual skills at school

ABSTRACT This study investigated longitudinal relationships between physical activity (PA), fitness and cognitive performance at early years. In total, 147 children at the age of 6.6 and 7.6 years participated in the study. PA and sedentary behaviour (SB) were registered with accelerometer. Skinfold thickness measurements were used to assess body composition. Children’s cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength and speed–agility fitness was assessed using PREFIT fitness test battery and static balance by EUROFIT test battery. Cognitive skills were measured with modified Boehm-3 test. Linear regression analyses showed that PA at the age of 6.6 years was positively, while SB was negatively associated with the conceptual skills at the age of 7.6 years after adjusting for confounders. Positive associations were observed between CRF, lower-limbs strength relative to fat-free mass, static balance at the age of 6.6 years with perceptual skills at 7.6 years in unadjusted analysis. PA and fitness were not associated with verbal abilities. Physically active lifestyle and CRF, relative explosive strength of the lower limbs, balance at 6.6 years in kindergarten predict conceptual and perceptual skills, but does not predict verbal abilities 1 year later at first grade in school. SB affects negatively conceptual skills.

Association of the Use of the Mobile Phone with Physical Fitness and Academic Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to analyse the association of the use of the mobile phone with physical fitness (PF) and academic performance in secondary school students and its gender-related differences. A total of 501 high school students participated in the study (236 girls and 265 boys; 12–18 years). Use of the mobile phone and sample distributions were done with the Mobile-Related Experience Questionnaire (CERM): low use of mobile phone (LMP = 10–15 points), medium use of mobile phone (MMP = 16–23 points) and high use of mobile phone (HMP = 24–40 points). PF via Eurofit test battery and academic performance were recorded, and gender was used as a differentiating factor. The HMP group registered lower values than the LMP group for academic performance (Spanish: 4.78 ± 2.26 vs. 3.90 ± 1.96 points; p = 0.007, Mathematics: 4.91 ± 2.23 vs. 4.00 ± 1.84 points; p = 0.007) and PF (Abdominals: 6.83 ± 2.40 vs. 5.41 ± 2.46 points; p < 0.001, Broad jump: 6.24 ± 3.02 vs. 4.94 ± 2.28 points; p = 0.013). The boy students showed greater values than girl students for PF in the LMP (medicine-ball-throw: 6.34 ± 2.24 vs. 5.28 ± 1.86 points, p = 0.007) and MMP (medicine-ball-throw: 6.49 ± 2.52 vs. 5.02 ± 1.68 points; p < 0.001) groups, but no gender-related differences were found in the HMP group. In conclusion, high use of the mobile phone was related to worse results in the PF tests and academic performance. Gender-related differences were found for academic performance regardless of the use of the mobile, but for physical fitness no gender differences were found in HMP group.

Physical fitness in preschool children in relation to later body composition at first grade in school.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate whether better physical fitness in kindergarten predicts later healthier body composition in first grade at school.MethodsBody composition was assessed by skinfold thickness measurements. Physical fitness tests included 20 m shuttle run test, handgrip strength test, standing long jump test, 4x10 m shuttle run test as part of PREFIT fitness test battery, and one-leg stance test from EUROFIT test battery. The participants of this study were 147 Estonian children (51% boys) aged 6–8 years, who were measured in the transition from kindergarten to school.ResultsAfter adjusting for maternal body mass index, educational attainment, child’s sex, age at the measurements, greater cardiovascular and motor fitness, relative lower body strength, static balance at 6.6 yr were associated with lower fat mass index, fat mass percentage at 12-month follow-up. The relative lower body strength above the median at 6.6 yr were related to lower fat mass index and fat mass percentage at 12-month follow-up, while the static balance test results demonstrated the opposite associations. Improvements in the 4x10 m shuttle run test results during the 12-month follow-up period were associated with the most beneficial changes in body composition status, such as increases in fat-free mass index and decreases in fat mass index, fat mass percentage, waist-to-height ratio after adjusting for maternal body mass index, educational attainment, child’s sex, age, at the measurements and baseline values of exposures.ConclusionBetter physical fitness tests results at 6.6 yr in kindergarten generally predicted lower body fat parameters in children at 7.6 yr in first grade at school.

Changes in motor skills among early school aged girls under the influence of regularly practiced dance

ABSTRACT This study aims the evaluation of the level, dynamics and direction of changes in the development of motor skills among early-school aged girls under the influence of a regularly practiced dance. The study involved 357 girls aged 7–10. The experimental group consisted of 192 girls attending dance classes at schools and children’s dance groups. The physical fitness level was assessed by seven trials from the Eurofit test battery that allowed to determine the level of balance, speed of upper limb movement, flexibility, explosive strength of the lower limbs, static hand strength, strength endurance of the abdominal muscles and agility. Measurements were carried out twice with a 9-month interval during one school year. Test scores were used to determine profiles of motor skill levels for a group of dancing girls, standardised against the control group. The dynamics of changes were determined on the basis of percentage indicators for relative increments. The frequency of changes between measurements was expressed as the number of subjects in percentages. The dancing girls presented a higher level in six motor skills and changes in their physical fitness were more dynamic. Statistically, significant increases were found for balance, flexibility, static hand strength and agility.

Does A Multiple-Sport Intervention Based on the TGfU Pedagogical Model for Physical Education Increase Physical Fitness in Primary School Children?

Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) is one of the pedagogical models used for increasing health through physical education (PE), being associated with several psychological benefits. However, only few studies have studied the effect of TGfU on physical fitness. This study aims at assessing the changes in students’ physical fitness after a six-month TGfU-based program with primary school children. A total of eight schools from the state of Sonora (Mexico) were randomly distributed into experimental (EG) and control group (CG). The final sample consisted of 188 pupils (100 boys, 88 girls; age = 10.22 ± 0.76 years) from the 5th and 6th grade. Employing a quasi-experimental design, physical fitness was assessed by means of the Eurofit test battery. At post-test, EG obtained significantly higher scores than CG in flexibility, abdominals, speed (p < 0.001), handgrip (p = 0.002), low-limb power (p = 0.032), and cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.048). Our findings suggest that TGfU can be a valid alternative to traditional methodologies not only when the aim of a PE unit is to stimulate the cognitive domain, but also for the development of physical fitness attributes that may help pupils develop in a comprehensive manner.

Genetics of somatotype and physical fitness in children and adolescents.

To analyze the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the variation in somatotype, physical fitness, and their mutual associations. Twins from 214 pairs (87 monozygotic) of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, from 3 to 18 years of age (51% girls) were assessed in anthropometry and physical fitness tests. We estimated endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy based on anthropometric measures and physical fitness using the Eurofit test battery. Two age categories were analyzed: children (3-11 years) and adolescents (12-18 years). Genetic and environmental variations were estimated using quantitative genetic twin modeling. No genetic sex differences were found, thus boys and girls were pooled in all genetic analyses. Heritability estimates were high for somatotype (a2 =0.80-0.93), physical fitness traits (a2 =0.67-0.83), and largely similar in children and adolescents. Positive correlations were found for ectomorphy with motor ability and cardiorespiratory endurance as well as for endomorphy and mesomorphy with muscular strength (r=0.25-0.37). In contrast, negative associations were found for ectomorphy with muscular strength, as well as for endomorphy and mesomorphy with motor ability and cardiorespiratory endurance (-0.46 to -0.26). Twin modeling indicated that these associations were explained mostly by genetic factors in common to the two associated traits (84% or more). Associations between somatotype and physical fitness tests are mainly explained by common genetic background in children and adolescents. Therefore, interventions in youth should consider that a child's performance in physical fitness tests partly reflects their inherited physique.

Physical Fitness and Dynamic Balance in Medication Naïve Turkish Children with ADHD.

This study investigated physical fitness levels and dynamic balance in medication-naïve children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants were 24 medication-naïve Turkish children with ADHD (4 girls, 20 boys) and 19 typically developing (TD) Turkish children (4 girls, 15 boys). We measured physical fitness levels with the Eurofit Test Battery, body composition with the Inbody 720 Body Composition Analyzer, cognitive attention with the Stroop Test, and dynamic balance with the Y-Balance Test. We found significantly poorer dynamic balance and both upper extremity and running fitness problems among the medication-naïve Turkish children with ADHD compared to the TD group (p = 0.002; p = 0.032; p = 0.002). It may be important to adress dynamic balance and physical fitness when treating children with ADHD.

Health-related Fitness Components - Links Between Parents and Their Child.

Objectives: Health-related fitness is a good predictor of health status of children and adults. Less is known about relationships of health-related fitness components between parents and children. Methods: Our study involved 58 children (30 girls and 28 boys, mean age = 7.97) and 58 parents (33 mothers, mean age = 39.32, and 25 fathers, mean age = 38.73) who were voluntarily enrolled in the program in 3 selected primary schools in the city of Poznan, Poland. Physical fitness was measured using the Eurofit test battery. Assessment of body composition was performed by measuring the bioimpedance. Results: Positive relationships were found among the levels of strength of abdominal muscle, flexibility of parents, and the slenderness of children. Slimmer parents also had more physically active children. Body composition parameters also were related to physical activity. More relationships were found between children and parents of the same sex. Conclusion: Data support the hypothesis that health-related risk factors are linked between parents and children and that sex plays an important role in these relationships. Our findings reinforce the need to develop health promotion programs that include children and their parents.

Gender Differences in Physical Fitness among Cameroonian School Children Aged 10 to 15 Years in Yaounde City

Background: The level of physical fitness indicates children’s health status and guides them towards sport branches. This crosssectional study aimed at determining the physical fitness of Cameroonian school-children aged 10 to 15 years in Yaounde city by comparing the results according to gender and with European normative values. A total of 504 healthy school children (51.58% females and 48.42% males) regularly attending physical education classes were conveniently selected from a secondary school. Methods: We collected anthropometric and physiological characteristics and the participants completed five physical tests integrated in the EUROFIT battery, namely standing broad jump (SBJ), flexed arm hang (FAH), sit-ups for 30 sec (SU), hand grip strength (HGS), and 10×5-m shuttle run test (10×5-mSRT). Values obtained from the tests were compared according to gender in each age. Results: Boys had a better performance compared with girls in different tests. No significant difference was found between boys and girls aged 10 to 14 years in 10×5-mSRT and from 10 to 12 years regarding HGS. However, performances were similar at 12 years in SBJ, at 12 and 13 years in FAH, and at 11 years in SU. School children in Yaounde city had better performances in SBJ, FAH, and 10×5-mSRT compared to their European counterparts. Conclusions: School-children in Yaounde city presented high physical fitness, and males had a better physical fitness than females aged 10-15. A study including the entire EUROFIT test battery with a great number of participants is needed to provide reference values in this population

PHYSICAL CONDITIONING OF TEENAGERS IN DIFFERENT KIND OF SPORTS

Physical conditioning is crucial in building motion skills if the coach wants to ensure long-term athletic development. The essence is that physical conditioning needs to be developed before the development of technical skills of sports movements at a much higher intensity at each stage of the multi-annual training process. The adult competition system and training programs are being imposed on young athletes, so the essential motion skills are not being learned (Grāvītis @ Luika, 2015). The lack of physical conditioning in teenage years is very often reflected in the most inappropriate moments of an athlete's career, at the elite level. Insufficient physical conditioning is a reason for the instability of motion skills and injuries in extreme physical and psychological loads. The amount of physical activity can be measured as a step count. The aim of the research is to assess physical fitness rate for children practicing basketball, football or ice hockey with EUROFIT test battery. The study included boys, 100 basketball players, 100 soccer players and 100 ice hockey players from Latvia who were born in 2002 and started training in their sport during at the ages from 7 to 9, collected data of their conditioning for five years, divided into three age groups. According to EUROFIT tests, it was concluded that the ice hockey players have the highest physical conditioning rates according to EUROFIT standard from the athletes analyzed, and the basketball players have the lowest physical conditioning rates in EUROFIT tests from the athletes analyzed. We can conclude that the results of hockey players are higher than the scores of basketball and soccer players because ice hockey players practice more frequently, and dryland training is strictly organized, they develop all motor abilities that is needed for successive training in basic drills on ice.

Prediktori fizičke ativnosti u ranoj adolescenciji - doprinos opšte fizičke forme i fizičkog self-koncepta

Vast empirical evidence suggests a high significance of physical activity (PA) for health and well-being. Still, researches show a decline of PA in youth worldwide. Early adolescence is a particularly sensitive period because then children adopt healthy habits and build a positive attitude towards PA. Examining the significance and contribution of potential factors to overall PA in early adolescence is of theoretical and practical relevance. Thus, this study aimed to explore the validity of physical fitness and physical self-concept in the prediction of overall PA in early adolescence, taking into account gender and Body Mass Index (BMI). The sample consisted of 417 primary school students (54.9% boys), the average age 13.6 years (SD=0.73) who participate in regular physical education classes three times per week, each class 45 minutes. Physical self-concept was measured using the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ). To assess everyday physical activity, we used the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). Anthropometric measurements included the body height and bodyweight of the respondents. Physical fitness, i.e., flexibility, muscular strength (abdominal endurance strength and lower-limb explosive strength), and cardiorespiratory endurance were measured using the EUROFIT test battery. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that physical self-concept predicts 35% of the variance of PA over and above gender and dimensions of physical fitness. Significant predictors of physical activity were dimensions of physical self-concept: Physical Activity, Sports Competence, and Endurance. The interaction of Gender and Self Esteem contributed significantly indicating that higher Self Esteem had a significant role in the level of PA only in male adolescents. The main finding is that physical self-concept plays a crucial role in the prediction of the level of overall PA in which early adolescents will be engaged. The results support findings showing that intervention programs aimed to improve PA should encourage positive physical self-concept of adolescents with appropriate content and procedures.

Effect of a One-Semester Conditioning Activities on Physical Fitness of the Students

The benefits of physical activities associated with physical fitness are positive at certain levels. The aim of this research is to determine students physical fitness level by using EUROFIT test battery and as a result, to design a physical activity program that they have to carry out in their daily activities. The research subjects are students (male) from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, in a number of 20 (height 179,90±8,44 cm; weight 79,58±12,04 kg). The research was conducted in sports facilities including: sports games hall, gym, swimming pool and outdoor artificial ground. The statistical significance of 0.05 threshold in ANOVA test was obtained in two cases and concerning the correlation, in 5 out of 10 cases it indicated a very strong correlation, while in 3 cases the value indicated a strong correlation and only in 2 tests there was recorded a moderate correlation. This good level of the physical fitness is the result of practicing exercises for at least 9 hours per week, but it is needed to focus on those physical fitness components with poor results at EUROFIT tests and also to maintain the body mass index below 25. These reference values will allow comparisons between students during physical activities and provide a baseline against which progress in physical fitness among Romanian youths and students could be compared.

BODY COMPOSITION, PHYSICAL FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL HABITS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FOOD AND NUTRITION IN FEMALE STUDENTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND MEDICINE-RELATED COURSES

The aim of this research was to compare body composition, physical fitness, nutritional habits and knowledge about food and nutrition between female students of physical education (PE) and those studying nursing and physiotherapy. The study was carried out in 2018 and included 137 female PE students and 115 female nursing and physiotherapy students from Biala Podlaska. Body composition was measured with the use of the bioelectrical impedance method. Physical fitness was assessed with the use of the Eurofit test battery. Nutritional habits and knowledge about food and nutrition were assessed using the KomPAN questionnaire which made it possible to determine two indices: pro-healthy diet index (pHDI-10) and non-healthy diet index (nHDI-14). Differences in body composition, physical fitness and nutritional habits were assessed using the Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Differences in the level of nutritional knowledge between the examined groups were assessed with the χ2 test. Female PE students manifested healthier body composition and higher levels of physical fitness. The level of knowledge about food and nutrition was sufficient in the majority of the study participants. Mean indices of pro-healthy and non-healthy diet fell within the range of low intensity of nutritional features.

Effect of 12 Weeks Workout on Women’s Physical Fitness

The aim of this research is to determine the students physical fitness level by using Eurofit test battery. The research subjects are students (female) from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava. The applied tests to the subjects are from the EUROFIT test battery. It is observed that not all fitness components have been improved in the same way. The best effect was obtained for the following components: balance test (Flamingo), static muscular strength (handgrip test), dynamic strength (sit ups), speed segmental (plate tapping) where progress was over 7%. A good progress was recorded for: running speed (10x5m shuttle run), strength endurance (bent arm hang), cardio-respiratory endurance (20m endurance shuttle run), lower limb explosive strength (standing long jump). To attract youth for practicing regular physical activity it is needed to find attractive sports or activities and motivate them to develop their physical fitness.