RELATIONSHIPS OF PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND SOMATIC CHARACTERISTICS WITH PHYSICAL-FITNESS AND MOTOR SKILL IN PREPUBERTAL GIRLS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between phy sical activity and somatic growth with motor skill and physical fitnes s in prepubertal girls. The subjects were 215, 7-10-year-old girls. So matic characteristics included 15 dimensions. Physical fitness was ass essed by the EUROFIT battery of 9 tests. Motor skill development was b ased on quantitative and qualitative assessment of the overhand throw. Physical activity was assessed by parental seven-day physical activit y recall for the child. Sum of five skinfolds was significantly negati vely related with motor fitness after controlling for the effects of p hysical activity (r = -0.27 to -0.39). Somatic characteristics were no t significantly related with fitness items and throwing stage after co ntrolling for physical activity. Age-specific partial correlations bet ween physical activity, fitness items, quantitative, and qualitative c haracteristics of the overhand throw, were not significant. After cont rolling for body size and subcutaneous fatness, aerobic fitness was si gnificantly related with physical activity of moderate to high intensi ty. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.