2011, Volume 3, Issue 4
Respiratory System Parameters and Other Somatic Indicators of Fitness in Primary School Pupils Exemplified in the Pomeranian Province
Marcin Pasek1, Janusz Jerzemowski2
1Department of Biology and Ecology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport in Gdansk
2Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport in Gdansk
Author for correspondence: Marcin Pasek; Department of Biology and Ecology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport in Gdansk; email: mpasek[at]awf.gda.pl
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Abstract
Background: Functional parameters of the respiratory system, the level of fatty tissue and connected with it the weight/growth index constitute important information attesting health condition of the population. The purpose of the study is to compare somatic features and determine the degree of correlation between these features taking into consideration different ecological conditions of the place of residence.
Material/Methods: A total of 114 children aged 13 (56 boys) and 12 (58 girls), representatives of the urban and country school population participated in the research. A city school was represented by a group of 30 boys and 27 girls. 26 boys and 31 girls were representatives of a village school. Research on physical development concerned body height and weight, thickness of the fatty tissue and functional parameters of the respiratory system. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation were assessed. The importance of difference of the arithmetic means in town and village groups of both sexes was tested by the Student t-test, and the correlation coefficient was assessed. The level of significance alpha = 0.05 was accepted. The assessment was made by means of Statistica 9 programme. The tests were taken in spring 2008.
Results: Research findings present significant relationships between the thickness of the fatty tissue and the body mass. The relationships between the remaining somatic features, for example lung ventilation parameters, are less essential.
Conclusions: The assumption that the place of residence and associated with it different ecological conditions influence the biological development indicators seems to be untrue with reference to the tested group of pupils.
Key words: biological development, weight-height indicator, fat tissue, ventilation parameters of lungs, ecological conditions