Comparative analysis of indicators of physical fitness and physical activity in girls 12-13 years old with different body weights

the prevalence of underweight is significant as up to 18 % of school-aged children suffer from insufficient body weight, and this problem is especially relevant for adolescent girls. Determining the relationship between insufficient body weight, physical fitness and the level of physical activity is important for characterizing the health status of school children. the aim of the study was to carry out a comparative analysis of indicators of physical fitness and physical activity in 12-13-year-old girls with different body weights. Methods: theoretical analysis of scientific and methodological literature on the studied problem and documentary materials, anthropometric methods (measurement of body weight and height), pedagogical methods (pedagogical testing), physical activity assessment (Framingham method), and mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, discriminant, and variance analysis). the study involved 12-13-year-old girls (a total of 138 people, of which 108 were aged 12 and 30 were aged 13). Results. the comparative analysis demonstrated that the individual physical fitness indicators (standing long jump, sit-up, and 4 × 9 m shuttle run tests) were statis-tically significantly (p <0.05) different between 12-year-old girls with insufficient body weight and their peers with normal body weight. the revealed trends were observed also in 13-year-old girls. Physical activity indicators were statistically significantly (p <0.05) lower in 12-13-year-old girls with insufficient body weight compared to girls of the same age with normal body weight. Using discriminant analysis, the models were developed that allow to identify the negative effects of insufficient body weight on the development of 12-13-year-old girls based on the indicators of physical fitness and physical activity. Conclusions. Significant differences in the indicators of physical fitness and physical activity were demonstrated between 12-13-year-old adolescent girls with normal and insufficient body weight. the above makes it necessary to take these data into account when developing health-enhancing physical activity programs for girls with insufficient body weight.