[Transverse study comparing certain physical characteristics of Senegalese children and adolescents from 7 to 13 years of age].
350 boys and 350 girls 7 to 13 years of age that are equally divided into 7 age groups according to sex, have been submitted to action speed tests (pure speed), co-ordination-speed, pure-power, co-ordination-power, flexibility and balance. The objective of our study was to compare the average evolution of each of these qualities according sex and age. From 7 to 13 boys were more performing than the girls in the first four tests; it's the opposite when il comes to the last two ones. Yet, the differences shown on both sides were not altogether significant but in action--speed (except at 9) and in flexibility. The two sexes were significantly different at the age of 7 and from 9 to 10 in balance, from 10 to 13 in pure-power, from 11 to 13 in co-ordination-power and from 12 to 13 in co-ordination-speed. It is often from the age of 7 to 9 or 10 that the average yearly gains of the performances are significant. Among the girls, they undergo more noticeable reductions from 9 or 10 until 12, before to decrease between 12 and 13 (in pure speed, co-ordination-speed and pure power), whereas the boys', for all the above mentioned physical qualities, remain unchanged or increase in a more significant way (except in flexibility). These significant results suggest a diversification of motor learning contents for boys and girls of the same age, or of different age according to sex.
Faye
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J
Institut National Supérieur de l'Education Populaire et du Sport (I.N.S.E.P.S.) BP 3256-Dakar.
Seck
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Cisse
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D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D010809:Physical Fitness; D004856:Postural Balance; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012016:Reference Values; D012420:Running; D012675:Senegal; D012737:Sex Factors