Diagnostics of Motor Abilities in Primary School Pupils in the Hradec Králové and Pardubice Regions

Abstract

Motor fitness is seen as a prerequisite for efficient physical functioning of the body and contributes to an active lifestyle. The aim of the research was to use 4 motor tests (standing long jump; sit-up test; 4x10 m shuttle run; Leger test /Beep test/) (1) to assess the level of motor fitness in comparison with UNIFITTEST, (2) to assess the significance of the difference in performance between the sexes, and (3) to assess the current status of the mean values of body height (BH) and body weight (BW) with the values of the National Institute of Public Health’s National Anthropological Research (NIPH’s NAR), in CZ: Celostátní antropologický výzkum (CAV) Státního zdravotního ústavu (SZÚ). Testing was conducted among 2nd grade primary school students (boys: n=129; girls n=99) in the Hradec Králové and Pardubice Regions. Comparison with the UNIFITTEST values for boys showed average performance in the sit-up test, below-average performance in the standing long jump, 4x10 m shuttle run and Leger tests. For girls, the comparison showed average performance in the sit-up test, below-average performance in the standing long jump and 4x10 m shuttle run tests, and significantly below-average performance in the Leger test. The results of the statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U test, T-test, effect size) showed a significant difference between sexes only in the case of 4x10m run test (p=0.018); the magnitude of substantive significance (Cohen's d) was between small and medium effect (d=0.321). Comparison of the mean BH and BW values of the pupils with the NIPH’s NAR values showed that the pupils tested by us achieved lower BH and higher BW than the NIPH’s NAR values: boys 131.5cm (NIPH’s NAR) x 127cm; 27kg (NIPH’s NAR) x 29.2kg, girls 130cm (NIPH’s NAR) x 125.5cm; 27kg (NIPH’s NAR) x 27.7kg.