<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><italic>Study aim</italic>: To assess the somatic and fitness status of adolescent boys from polluted industrial areas.<italic>Material and methods</italic>: A group of 313 boys aged 11 - 15 years from 5 villages located in the copper mine area in South-Western Poland were classified by the degree of lead and cadmium pollution (high - very high) and by parents' education (primary - secondary or higher). Somatic (body height and mass, BMI, body fat content) and functional (handgrip strength, standing broad jump, sit-and-reach, plate tapping, 1-kg medicinal ball throw, reaction time) were recorded. The data were standardised against age-specific means and standard deviations and subjected to two-way ANOVA.<italic>Results</italic>: Boys from more polluted area had significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher BMI than those from the less polluted one but only when their parents had primary education. Explosive strength was significantly higher in the less polluted area (p&lt;0.05) and when parents had higher than primary education (p&lt;0.01). In case of reaction speed only the degree of environmental pollution had significant effect (p&lt;0.05), no significant effects being noted for other variables<italic>Conclusions</italic>: The results pointed to the importance of parents' education in shaping health-directed behaviours, which may compensate for the negative impact of a degraded environment.</abstract>

Study aim: To assess the somatic and fitness status of adolescent boys from polluted industrial areas.Material and methods: A group of 313 boys aged 11 - 15 years from 5 villages located in the copper mine area in South-Western Poland were classified by the degree of lead and cadmium pollution (high - very high) and by parents' education (primary - secondary or higher). Somatic (body height and mass, BMI, body fat content) and functional (handgrip strength, standing broad jump, sit-and-reach, plate tapping, 1-kg medicinal ball throw, reaction time) were recorded. The data were standardised against age-specific means and standard deviations and subjected to two-way ANOVA.Results: Boys from more polluted area had significantly (p<0.01) higher BMI than those from the less polluted one but only when their parents had primary education. Explosive strength was significantly higher in the less polluted area (p<0.05) and when parents had higher than primary education (p<0.01). In case of reaction speed only the degree of environmental pollution had significant effect (p<0.05), no significant effects being noted for other variablesConclusions: The results pointed to the importance of parents' education in shaping health-directed behaviours, which may compensate for the negative impact of a degraded environment.

Somatic and functional status of boys from various social and environmental categories

University of Physical Education, Wrocław, Poland

Biomedical Human Kinetics

Study aim: To assess the somatic and fitness status of adolescent boys from polluted industrial areas.Material and methods: A group of 313 boys aged 11 - 15...

Somatic and functional status of boys from various social and environmental categories

Published Online: Sep 08, 2009

Page range: 56 - 59

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-009-0015-9

Keywords
Somatic development, Functional development, Pollution, Auxology

This content is open access.

Somatic and functional status of boys from various social and environmental categories

Published Online: Sep 08, 2009

Page range: 56 - 59

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10101-009-0015-9

KeywordsSomatic development, Functional development, Pollution, Auxology

This content is open access.

Keywords
Somatic development, Functional development, Pollution, Auxology