Pattern Recognition on Anthropometric and Fitness Components Relative Birth-month Quartiles among Malaysian Boys and Girls

Abstract

Biasness selection during talent identification program in sports may occurred due to the chronological age system applied nowadays. The aim of this study is to recognize pattern on anthropometric and fitness components relative birth-month quartiles among studied population. A total of 39372 boys (aged 7.36 ± 0.29 year) and 33723 girls aged (7.34 ± 0.29 year) were classified into four chronological birth-month groups which is first quartile (Q1 - Jan to March), second quartile (Q2-Apr to June), third quartile (Q3 - July to Sept) and fourth quartile (Q4 - Oct to Dec) involved in this study. Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant difference of F(18, 111336), p < 0.0001, p < 0.05 and F (18, 95358), p-value < 0.0001, alpha=0.05 between four birth-month quartiles for boy and girl participants, respectively. Tukey (HSD) follow up test of analysis of variance revealed that studied population are significantly difference in body weight, standing height, explosive leg power, hand-eye coordination and speed for all the contrast with p-value < 0.0001, alpha=0.05. However, result found no significant different for flexibility within all the contrast for boys and girls. Present study also revelaed a stronger influence of RAE among boys as compared to girls. The information of evidence-based of anthropometric and fitness performance according birth-month quartile would able to reduce RAE that may cause bias and subjective decision making for talent identification in sports.