Features of Physical Development of Schoolchildren and Students Engaged in Physical Education and Sports

Abstract

Introduction. A distinctive feature of the modern lifestyle of children and adolescents is insufficient physical activity having a negative effect on their health. We conducted a physical activity survey for 997 schoolchildren and 597 students of the city of Ufa. Results. The results showed that 688 respondents (43.16%) did not do sport outside school or university. 272 people (17.06%) reported jogging and playing sports games on their own. 634 respondents (39.78%) attended sports clubs and sections on a regular basis. The survey demonstrated that physically inactive students and schoolchildren violated daily routine. Such schoolchildren spent significantly more leisure time on television viewing (52.78%) compared to their peers attending sports clubs (41.36%). The percentage of schoolchildren spending much time on the computer among those not doing sport was also higher (58.59% vs 41.47%). The same trend was observed in the students: 36.24% of the students not practicing sport spent most of their leisure time on the computer. Physically active students spent enough time outdoors as compared to those not doing sport (23.40% vs 11.15%). Conclusions. The surveyed schoolchildren and students revealed age and gender differences in sports patterns. The duration of training and the level of sportsmanship was higher in boys than in girls. We also observed the increase with age in the number and duration of training, as well as the level of sportsmanship. The health status analysis showed that the schoolchildren and students doing sport had significantly more harmonious physical development, while disharmonious physical development was more common among physically inactive persons. The pupils and students practicing sport regularly showed higher lung vital capacity, hand muscle strength, and a higher level of adaptation.