Changes in Somatic Indicators, Body Posture and Health-Oriented Fitness among Younger School-Age Female Pupils

Background and Aim of Study: Currently, we are observing a worsening trend in the field of health-oriented fitness and postural health of the school population. The aim of the research was to compare and expand knowledge in the areas of monitoring somatic changes, indicators of health-oriented fitness, motor performance, and body posture among 10-year-old female school populations. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of ????n=292 female pupils, with n=150 from 2012 and n=142 from 2022 at the elementary school in Žilina (ZA), Slovakia. An ex post facto study was applied. Standardized methods of measurement and testing applicable for school practice were used to obtain data. Differences between groups of female pupils were examined using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. To determine the effect size and measure the difference in average values, Cohen's d and r were used. The differences found were evaluated at the (p<0.05) level of statistical significance. Results: When comparing the average body weight of female pupils from ZA in 2012 and 2022, we found a significant difference (p<0.05) (H=4.87, p=0.02733) in favor of female pupils from 2012. The same finding in favor of female pupils from 2012 was recorded when comparing the average body mass index (BMI) (H=4.8182, p=0.02816), as well as in evaluating the average health-oriented fitness using the Ruffier test (H=13.1965, p=0.00028). The Beep test was also used to evaluate the endurance abilities of female pupils, where current ZA female pupils in 2022 showed significantly worse results (H=5.752, p=0.01647). Similarly, we also observed significant (p<0.05) worse findings in overall body posture among female pupils from ZA in 2022. Conclusion: On the basis of our findings, we consider the current state of body weight, posture, health-oriented physical fitness and endurance skills in younger school-aged girls to be unsatisfactory and health-threatening. It is necessary to further deal with the stated facts and look for preventive measures. These findings indicate a declining and deteriorating trend in health-oriented fitness in relation to body weight, body posture, and endurance abilities.