title: [Physical fitness of short-statured girls in pubertal age].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Objective evaluation of physical fitness during adolescence is of importance in a school practice. Low body height may decide of unequal chances of short-statured youth as compared to other pupils performing physical fitness test.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess physical fitness of short-statured girls aged 13-16.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 short-statured girls (body height below 10th percentile) from the province of Lodz aged 13-16 (15.1±0.9) years took part in the study. Their body height and body mass were 143.0±10.7 cm and 44.7±9.2 kg, respectively. Physical fitness was assessed with the use of EUROFIT test battery. The results were standardised against the functions of means and standard deviations for age computed for the Polish population and compared with the t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared to girls from a general population, a short-statured one performed significantly worse with respect to two tests: SAR (sit-and-reach) and SBJ (standing board jump; p <0.01). In other fitness tests the results obtained were similar. It was also found that body height correlated positively and body mass negatively with general physical fitness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to compensate deficiencies in physical fitness of short-statured girls, particular attention should be paid to shaping those abilities in which they performed worse. On the other hand, changing the attitude towards evaluation in physical education should be also considered as to make it adequate to somatic possibilities of short-statured pupils and thus motivate them to undertake physical activity.
authors: Zakład Metodyki Wychowania Fizycznego Akademii Wychowania Fizycznego Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie. r.czarniecka@awf.edu.pl
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Czarniecka
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Milde
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Tomaszewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011044:Poland