[Effects of an exercise program on body composition, cardiopulmonary function, and physical fitness for obese children].
OBJECTIVE
The study was done to investigate the effects of an exercise program on body composition, cardiopulmonary function and physical fitness in obese children.


METHODS
Thirty nine children in grades 4, 5, and 6 in elementary school were employed: experimental group(20) and control group(19). The subjects in the experimental group participated in an exercise program for 8 weeks, thirty five minutes per session, four times per week. This data was analyzed by ANCOVA and paired t-test.


RESULTS
The Height(F=2.615, p=0.027) of the experimental group was significantly different from the control group. Also, in the experimental group, there were significant differences of height(t=4.79, p=0.000), cardiac rate(t=-6.461, p=0.000), body mass index(t=-2.13 p=0.046), muscle strength(t=3.48, p=0.003), and muscle endurance(t=3.20, p=0.005). Otherwise, in the control group, there were significant differences of weight(t=2.27, p=0.036), waist-hip ratio(t=3.16, p=0.005), and muscle endurance(t=-2.38, p=0.030).


CONCLUSIONS
Jumping rope improved the body composition, cardiopulmonary function, and physical fitness for obese children.
Kwon
Myung Soon
MS
Department of Nursing, Hallym University, Korea. kwon1314@hallym.ac.kr
Hwang
Kyung Sook
KS
D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010809:Physical Fitness