MODEL FOR PREDICTING CHANGES IN THIGH CIRCUMFERENCE CHANGES IN THE LOWER THIRD OVER TIME IN STUDENTS FROM BUKOVYNA HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BASED ON SPORT TYPE

Abstract

The dynamic comparison of thigh circumference in the lower third was conducted in 132 students of Bukovyna (the initial study was carried out during September-October 2021, and a repeat study of these same students in September-October 2022). All students in the main group, aside from their program-specific physical activities, participated in the following sports over the year: 46 (50.00%) students played football, including 38 (41.30%) boys and 8 (8.70%) girls; 19 (20.65%) students played volleyball, including 10 (10.86%) boys and 9 (9.78%) girls; 14 (22.58%) students played handball, including 8 (8.69%) boys and 6 (6.52%) girls; 13 (14.13%) students played basketball, including 9 (9.78%) boys and 4 (4.34%) girls. Students in the control group had physical education classes according to their program requirements but did not engage in additional sports activities. All students underwent an anthropometric assessment, specifically the measurement of thigh circumference in the lower third following the method of P.P. Shaparenka. A paired t-test was employed to compare the students' measurements between the initial assessment and a follow-up one year later. The collected data were statistically analyzed using the licensed program RStudio. Comparing the changes in thigh circumference in the lower third between the main and control groups, it was found that students in the main group who participated in various sports had higher measurements than those in the control group, with an average difference of ±4.40 cm. Comparing the right and left thigh circumferences in the main group demonstrated that the right thigh had a larger circumference (right: 49.26±5.60 cm, left: 45.88±5.45 cm). The comparison of thigh circumference changes over the year showed a noticeable increase in thigh girth in the middle third in 2022 compared to 2021 (right: ±1.27 cm, left: ±2.84 cm). Hence, the predictive model for right thigh circumference (Cdr) in the lower third can be represented as follows: Cdr = β1 + β2 + 0.418w, where Cdr stands for right thigh circumference in the lower third, w denotes weight, β1 values are 25.560 for young girls and 20.165 for young boys, and β2 values are -4.497 for the control group, 0.039 for the football group, 0.039 for the handball group, and 0.502 for the volleyball group. Similarly, the predictive model for left thigh circumference in the lower third (Cdl) is expressed as: Cdl = β1 + β2 + 0.387w, where Cdl represents left thigh circumference in the lower third, w denotes weight, β1 values are 24.638 for young girls and 18.523 for young boys, and β2 values are -0.051 for the control group, 0.379 for the football group, -0.291 for the handball group, and 0.323 for the volleyball group. Gender, sport type, and weight serve as significant predictors for predicting thigh circumference in the lower third.