title: Tracking of physical fitness components in boys and girls from the second to sixth grades.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the tracking of field-assessed fitness components in boys and girls from the second to sixth grades. A total of 857 children (448 boys and 409 girls) from 11 urban schools were tested in grade 2; 565 children (297 boys and 268 girls) were tested again in grade 6. Only subjects who had completed all fitness tests on the two occasions were included in the analysis (n = 319: 203 boys and 116 girls). Fitness tests included a 600-m run, a flying-start sprint, the standing long jump, and a medicine ball throw. Additionally, subjects performed a skill task that involved slalom dribbling of a basketball. Baseline scores in grade 2 were correlated (Spearman Rank Order) with scores attained in grade 6. Boys had significantly (P < 0.05) better scores in all fitness tests compared with girls in both grades. Tracking of fitness components over the 4-year period in both sexes varied between 0.36 and 0.66. Tracking was consistently lower in girls than in boys, perhaps reflecting their earlier maturation.
authors.affiliation: Ribstein Center for Sports Medicine Sciences and Research, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel. bfalk@ccsg.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lustig
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaaron
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ayalon
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*