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

Abstract

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>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>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.