Dr.Biol., Associate Professor V.N. Pushkina^{1, 2}
PhD E.A. Lubyshev¹
PhD, Associate Professor S.Yu. Razmakhova^3
1Moscow City Pedagogical University, Moscow
²Institute of Developmental Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
³Russian Peoples' Friendship University, Moscow

Keywords: elementary school age, functional fitness, physical fitness, gender differences.

Background. In this day and age, characterized by variability, uncertainty, complexity, and duality of nature, the problem of school education policies is getting more and more critical [6]. The immediacy of the problem is due to the fact that, being on top of modern trends, educational institutions are introducing new disciplines into the educational process, thus overloading the academic curricula [4, 7]. Alongside with this, various social situations (distance learning, appearance of new infectious agents) are actively provoking psychoemotional overload in schoolchildren [2, 9]. Besides, elementary school age is the period of active development of physical and functional fitness, which places an additional load on their body’s adaptive reserves [3]. The combined effect of all these factors on the child’s body may negatively affect the child’s health, provoking the development of negative states [8]. It is therefore critical that an individual trajectory for physical education of children is designed based on their individual physical and functional rates [5].

Objective of the study was to assess the physical and functional fitness of elementary schoolchildren of 9-10 years of age.

Methods and structure of the study. The study involved Moscow schoolchildren of 9-10 years of age (n=90). The mean age of the boys was 9.38±0.08 years (n=45), girls - 9.18±0.05 years (n=45). The subjects were apparently healthy and had no medical contraindications for physical trainings.

The test exercise set included the exercises to assess the subjects’ physical condition and motor coordination skills. It included: 1) standing long jump; 2) 3x10m shuttle run; 3) 6-min run; 4) 1-min sit-ups; 5) standing forward bends; 6) push-ups. The following functional indicators were evaluated: vital capacity (VC); heart rate (HR); systolic blood pressure (SBP); diastolic blood pressure (DBP). We also conducted Stange’s and Ruffier tests, calculated Quetelet, Robinson, Skibinsky, and Shapovalova indices. The statistical processing of the data obtained was carried out using a set of statistical applications. The differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. All the schoolchildren were ranked according to their physical fitness rates in the motor tests, as well as according to their functional fitness rates in Ruffier test and in terms of Quetelet, Robinson, Skibinsky, and Shapovalov indices on 5 levels: "poor" (1 point), "below-average" (2 points), "average" (3 points), "above-average" (4 points), "high" (5 points). The physical and functional rates were calculated as a result of dividing the total points by the number of tests.

Results and discussion. There is no doubt that the state of the child’s health depends on his physical and functional fitness levels. Interestingly, there are gender differences in the physical condition of children aged 9-10 years. Some studies indicate that this dependence occurs as early as at the age of 5-6 years [1]. Looking at the data obtained in this study, it should be noted that the 9-10 year-old girls were second to boys in almost all the motor tests. The boys had significantly higher rates in terms of speed-strength (p<0.01) and strength (p<0.001) abilities, strength (p<0.001) and overall (p<0.01) endurance. The girls had higher flexibility rates (p<0.001) (Table 1).

Table 1. Functional fitness rates in elementary schoolchildren, M±m

The boys were ranked according to the above levels in the following way: 54.3% of boys had an above-average physical fitness level, 10.8% - high level. 21.7% of boys were found to have an average level of physical fitness, 10.8% below-average, and 2.2% - poor.

The analysis of the subjects’ heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure in a state of relative rest, as well as their HR after physical loads and in the recovery period, revealed that their resting hemodynamic indices were consistent with the age-specific rates. The stress test (squats) rates indicated a greater increase in HR in the girls (by 9.6%). The boys had a less pronounced reaction (a 7.4% increase), which indirectly indicated a higher level of training of their cardiovascular system. However, the HR recovery processes in the girls and boys were synchronous – their HR recovered to the baseline values with the recommended time-frame. The analysis of the subjects’ respiratory function showed a greater potential in the boys: the vital capacity and Stange’s test rates were higher in the boys (12% higher in terms of vital capacity and 17% higher in terms of Stange’s test) (Table 2).

Table 2. Morphofunctional indicators in elementary schoolchildren, M±m

The 5-level ranking of the girls according to their functional fitness levels showed that 15.5% of girls had an above-average level of functional fitness, 62.2% - average, 20% - below-average, and 2.2% - poor level. None of the female subjects had a high functional fitness level. Ranking of the boys according to the same levels indicated that most of them (45.7%) had an average functional fitness level, 34.8% - above-average, and 4.3% - high level. 15.2% of boys had a below-average level of functional fitness. No poor level was detected among the male subjects.

Conclusion. The study found that the 9-10 year-old elementary schoolchildren had gender differences in the levels of their physical and functional fitness. These differences need to be taken into account when designing individual educational paths of elementary schoolchildren under the "Physical Education" discipline.

References

1. Krivolapchuk I.A., Kisel S.A., Chernova M.B. et al. Functional development of 5-6 year-old preschoolers: Message Ӏ. Motional fitness and physical activity. Novye issledovaniya. 2020. No. 4. pp. 122-130.
2. Kuchma V.R., Sukhareva L.M., Khramtsov P.I. Medical preventive foundations of life safety of children in hyperinformed society. Rossiyskiy pediatricheskiy zhurnal. 2017. V. 20. No. 3. pp. 161-165.
3. Makarova L.V., Lukyanets G.N., Paranicheva T.M. et al. Features of academic, extracurricular workload and daily routine of fifth grade students of Moscow school. Novye issledovaniya. 2020. No. 3. pp. 81-92.
4. Makeeva A.G. Online technologies to promote healthy lifestyle younger students. Novye issledovaniya. 2020. No. 4. pp. 93-99.
5. Pushkina V.N., Gernet I.N., Fedorova E.Y. Personalization of educational school environment in Physical Education discipline using digital content. Almanac. Novye issledovaniya. 2020. No. 1. pp. 81-84.
6. Pushkina V.N., Gernet I.N., Olyashev N.V. et al. Functionality of external respiration system of young people residing in different regions of Russia. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2020. No. 4. pp. 17-19.
7. Dobryakova M.S., Frumin I.D. [ed.], Barannikov K.A., Ziil N., Moss J., Remorenko I.M., Khautamyaka Y. Universal competences and new literacy: from slogans to reality. National research university Higher School of Economics. Moscow: Higher School of Economics publ., 2020. 472 p.
8. Alvarez-Bueno C., Álvarez-Bueno C., Pesce C., Cavero-Redondo I., Sánchez-López M., Garrido-Miguel M., Martínez-Vizcaíno V. The effect of physical activity interventions on children’s cognition and meta-cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Childand Adolescent Psychiatry. 2017a.Vol. 56/9. pp. 729-738.
9. Biddle S.J., Asare H. and M. Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: Areview of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011. (https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185).

Corresponding author: taiss43@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to assess the physical and functional fitness of elementary schoolchildren of 9-10 years of age.

Methods and structure of the study. The study involved Moscow schoolchildren of 9-10 years of age (n=90). The mean age of the boys was 9.38±0.08 years (n=45), girls - 9.18±0.05 years (n=45). The subjects were apparently healthy and had no medical contraindications for physical trainings.

The test exercise set included the exercises to assess the subjects’ physical condition and motor coordination skills. Their functional indicators were evaluated. The schoolchildren were also graded by the level of physical readiness to perform all motor tests, as well as by the level of their functional readiness.

Results and conclusions. The study found that the elementary schoolchildren of 9-10 years of age had gender differences in their physical fitness levels: the boys demonstrated higher results in the speed-strength and strength tests, strength endurance tests, and overall endurance tests. According to the 5-point rating system, 65.1% of the boys had a high (10.8%) and above average (54.3%) levels of physical fitness. 21.7% of the boys had an average physical fitness level, 10.8% - below average, and 2.2% - poor. The boys demonstrated higher results in the Shapovalova test as well. The girls performed better on the flexibility test: 59% of the girls had a high (18.1%) and above average (40.9%) levels of development of flexibility. The average level was observed in 25% of children, below average level - in 11.4%, poor level - in 4.5%.