RELATIONS OF FITNESS PARAMETERS AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SEVEN -YEAR - OLD OBESE CHILDREN

The aim of this research was to determine the relations of fitness parameters and morphological characteristics of seven-year-old obese children. The sample of participants consisted of 103 obese children (63 girls and 40 boys), first grade students (mean age 7.04 years) of elementary schools in Nis. The following fitness parameters were measured: HR in load, VO2max (ml), HR in peace, bend forward - bend backward - throw test, hand taping, 20m dash with a standing start, Abalakov test and forward bend on the bench test. Morphological characteristics were determined by measuring 13 parameters of longitudinal and transversal dimensions of skeleton, volume and body mass, as well as subcutaneous fat tissue. Canonical correlation analysis was used to determine the relations between the set of variables representing fitness parameters and the set of variables of morphological characteristics. Based on the coefficients of canonical correlation analysis, it can be concluded that the spaces of morphological characteristics and fitness parameters are interconnected with two pairs of statistically significant canonical factors (p˂.05 and p˂.01). The general analysis of the relationships between the first pair of canonical factors suggests that subjects with higher circular dimensionalities of the body, accentuated adiposity and body mass tend to have poorer results in motoring tasks requiring body flexibility, explosive leg strength and running speed, and also have poorer results in the parameters of cardiorespiratory fitness. It can be concluded that obesity in young school age has negative implications on the fitness parameters in children, and therefore on their overall growth and development.