Effects of physical fitness level on postural sway in young children

Abstract

In this study, we longitudinally measured the effects of physical fitness level and body size and shape on the total length of sway path of the center of gravity (LNG), in 16 boys and 18 girls, from the age of 4 to 6 years. The LNG values of the boys and girls at 5 and 6 years of age were lower than the corresponding values at 4 years of age, but there was no significant difference between the LNG at 5 and 6 years of age. With the physical fitness tests (25 m sprint speed, hopping, standing broad jump, side jump and standing on one leg), performance at 6 years of age was better than at 5 years of age and that at 5 years of age better than at 4 years of age. LNG was negatively correlated with side jump frequencies in the 6-year-old boys and girls. A significant negative partial correlation was found between LNG and Caup's index (weight/height 2) with age held constant. Partial correlations between LNG and physical fitness levels were not significant with age held constant. From these results, we conclude that a decreasing LNG depends on age and on Caup's index, but not on height, weight, or physical fitness levels. © 2005 The Anthropological Society of Nippon.