Statistical analysis of physical fitness and motor ability of school children in kyoto city: Part 1. Mean, Standard Deviation, Coefficient of Variation and g1-Statistic

Abstract

The physical fitness and motor ability of 17,000 school children in Kyoto City, age 10-17, was studied in 1966-1968. A sports test from the Japanese Ministry of Education, 1963 was used. The sports test consists of seven items-physical fitness diagnostic test and of five items-motor ability test. At first, the mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and g1-statistics were calculated using the data of each item of the sports test for boys and girls of every age. In the paper the results obtained by these preliminary analysis of the data are reported. The results which are most worth mentioning are as follows. 1. The age when muscular strength is most remarkably developed coincides with the age when the increase of height is the most remarkably developed. However, according to the results obtained from the Modified Harverd Step Test and Endurance Running, improvement of respiratory and circulatory function seems to occur at a slightly older age. 2. In every item of the sports test records clearly show individual differences. The individual differences related to physical fitness and motor ability seem to be greater than the individual differences related to body type. The greatest individual differences are generally found during the age when the children are most rapidly developing-girls, 10-11 years; boys, 12-14. 3. In most of the items, the distribution is found to be asymmetric which is especially noticable in chinning (modified), step test and trunk extention. In these items the evaluation of individual relative ability among the group by the use of mean and standard deviation is not necessarily suitable. The use of median or mean as the standard value is recommended. Records of our subject were compared with the standards records reported by the Japanese Ministry of Education and with several reports done 30-40 years ago. © 1970, The Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. All rights reserved.