Middle childhood appears fundamental in the development of strength and motor performance, with differences among specific skills. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of Italian children in the context of growth, body composition and functional characteristics. The sample included 163 school children (97m,66f), from Bologna(Italy) aged 6-11y. This study is the first phase of a broader longitudinal project dealing with modifications in somatic and motor characteristics. The anthropometric dimensions included weight, height, sitting height, breadths, circumferences and skinfold thicknesses. Percentage fat was estimated with the procedures of Slaughter et al.(1988); fat-free mass(FFM) and fat mass(FM) were derived. Functional characteristics included lower back/upper thigh flexibility (sit and reach) and strength tests: hand grip, standing board jump, pinches and ball throwing. In addition, tests were performed in order to evaluate the dominant side of the body and the degree of “coordination” (eye-hand coordination with a tennis ball throw test and kinaesthetic differentiation trough weight estimation test).The growth status of children from Bologna is congruent with Italian standards (Cacciari et al., 2002). Males are fatter than females, but they generally show better motor performance. Only flexibility is higher in females. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis for motor characteristics show that a substantial portion of the variance can be explained by somatic characteristics. Multivariate statistic allows to identify different cluster variables: one for anthropometric and one other for motor performance data. Height is the most correlated to motor tests variable and represent a link with both variable groups. The ball throwing test is the most correlated (test) with anthropometric data. Our results confirm the importance of the relationships between anthropometric characters and performance during growth.
Brasili P., Merni F., Ceciliani A., Ventrella A., Semprini G., Toselli S. (2006). Anthropometric and functional characteristics in school children from Bologna (Italy). COLOGNE : Sportverlag Strauss.
Anthropometric and functional characteristics in school children from Bologna (Italy)
BRASILI, PATRICIA;MERNI, FRANCO;CECILIANI, ANDREA;VENTRELLA, ANGELA RAFFAELLA;SEMPRINI, GABRIELE;TOSELLI, STEFANIA
2006
Abstract
Middle childhood appears fundamental in the development of strength and motor performance, with differences among specific skills. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of Italian children in the context of growth, body composition and functional characteristics. The sample included 163 school children (97m,66f), from Bologna(Italy) aged 6-11y. This study is the first phase of a broader longitudinal project dealing with modifications in somatic and motor characteristics. The anthropometric dimensions included weight, height, sitting height, breadths, circumferences and skinfold thicknesses. Percentage fat was estimated with the procedures of Slaughter et al.(1988); fat-free mass(FFM) and fat mass(FM) were derived. Functional characteristics included lower back/upper thigh flexibility (sit and reach) and strength tests: hand grip, standing board jump, pinches and ball throwing. In addition, tests were performed in order to evaluate the dominant side of the body and the degree of “coordination” (eye-hand coordination with a tennis ball throw test and kinaesthetic differentiation trough weight estimation test).The growth status of children from Bologna is congruent with Italian standards (Cacciari et al., 2002). Males are fatter than females, but they generally show better motor performance. Only flexibility is higher in females. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis for motor characteristics show that a substantial portion of the variance can be explained by somatic characteristics. Multivariate statistic allows to identify different cluster variables: one for anthropometric and one other for motor performance data. Height is the most correlated to motor tests variable and represent a link with both variable groups. The ball throwing test is the most correlated (test) with anthropometric data. Our results confirm the importance of the relationships between anthropometric characters and performance during growth.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
