Gender differences in physical activity of ten years old pupils / Razlike u tjelesnoj aktivnosti desetogodišnjaka s obzirom na spol

Abstract

Abstract
Insufficient physical activity (PA) of children and young has become a growing problem of modern society, and is one of the factors affecting increase in overweight as early as preschool and younger school age. Recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO) was that children and youth spend at least 60 minutes a day in one of kinesiology activities of medium intensity, but despite encouragement to engage in PA,  the level of PA starts to decline as early as adolescence (Armstrong, Welsman and Kirby, 2000; Wickel, Eisenmann and Welk, 2009). The study was conducted on a sample of 206) participants of fourth grade of elementary schools of the city of Zadar (111 female students and 95 students, with aim of determining the level of  PA and examining the existence of differences in the level of PA with respect to gender. The level of PA was estimated with the Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C questionnaire) (Crocker, Bailey, Faulkner, Kowalski, i McGrath, 1997). We calculated the basic descriptive indicators, and Man Whitney U test was applied to test differences in the level of PA according to gender. The students have a significantly higher overall level of PA than female students (Z=-2.15, p=0.03), and they are significantly different in the variables that estimate the level of PA in school during break (Z=-3.05, p=0.00) and during lunch (Z=-3.74, p=0.00). Also in other variables which do not show a statistically significant difference, but estimate PA (in the evenings, on weekends and PA by days), male students also have more values, which means that they are physically more active.The level of PA in total sample is low, and very few respondents satisfies the recommended daily requirement for PA, which indicates the desirability of promoting PA for all age groups, particularly during adolescence.
Keywords: gender differences; physical activity
---
Sažetak
Nedovoljna tjelesna aktivnost (TA) djece i mladih postala je rastućim problemom suvremenog društva, te je jedan od čimbenika koji utječu na porast prekomjerne tjelesne mase već u predškolskoj i mlađoj školskoj dobi. Preporuka Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije (WHO) je da djeca i mladi barem 60 minuta dnevno provedu u nekoj od kinezioloških aktivnosti srednjeg intenziteta, no usprkos poticanju na bavljenje TA, razina TA počinje se smanjivati već u doba adolescencije (Armstrong, Welsman i Kirby, 2000; Wickel, Eisenmann i Welk, 2009). Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku 206 ispitanika (111 učenica i 95 učenika) polaznika četvrtih razreda osnovnih škola grada Zadra, s ciljem utvrđivanja razine TA učenika i ispitivanja postojanja razlika u razini TA s obzirom na spol. Razina TA procijenjena je s Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C upitnikom) (Crocker, Bailey, Faulkner, Kowalski, i McGrath, 1997). Izračunati su osnovni deskriptivni pokazatelji, a Man Whitney U test primijenjen je za ispitivanje razlika u razini TA obzirom na spol. Učenici imaju značajno veću ukupnu razinu TA od učenica (Z=-2.15, p=0.03), te se značajno razlikuju u varijablama koje procjenjuju razinu TA u školi za vrijeme malog (Z=-3.05, p=0.00)  i velikog odmora (Z=-3.74, p=0.00). I u ostalim varijablama koje procjenjuju TA u večernjim satima, vikendom i TA po danima, a koje ne pokazuju statistički značajnu razliku, učenici također imaju više vrijednosti, što znači da su tjelesno aktivniji. Razina TA ukupnog uzorka je niska, te vrlo mali broj ispitanika zadovoljava preporučene dnevne potrebe za TA, što upućuje na potrebu promicanja TA u svim dobnim skupinama, a posebno u doba adolescencije.
Ključne riječi: desetogodišnjaci;  spolne razlike;  tjelesna aktivnost