The Influence of Birth Weight on Physical Fitness in Children Between 8 to 10 Years
Gökmen Özen1
, Muhammed Emin Kafkas2, Cengiz Akalan3
1Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Turkey<
2Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, İnönü University, Malatya, Turkey
3Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Birth weight, Eurofit, performance, physical fitness
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of birth weight on the physical fitness parameters of children.
Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 180 (90 boys and 90 girls) children aged between 8-10 years. Participants were grouped as low (n = 60), normal (n= 60), and high (n= 60) birth weight groups based on their birth weight and gestation weeks. In the research, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and BMI) and Eurofit test battery (flamingo balance, plate tapping, sit and reach, standing broad jump, handgrip strength, 30s sit-ups, bent-arm hang, and 10x5m shuttle run tests) were performed.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the birth weight groups in terms of the results of anthropometric measurements and scores of Eurofit physical fitness tests (p > .05).
Conclusion: It was determined that birth weight has no influence on the measured anthropometric and physical fitness parameters of children aged 8 to10 years.
Cite this article as: Ozen G, Kafkas ME, Akalan C. The influence of birth weight on physical fitness in children between 8 to 10 years.Turk J Sports Med. 2019;54(1):9-16.
This study was presented in 13th International Sport Sciences Congress in Konya, 2014.
The data used in this article has been obtained from the master thesis study of Gokmen Özen that has been conducted in Ankara and İnönü Universities.
