Physical Performance and Body Form as Related to Physical Activity of College Women

Abstract

The problems of this study were to investigate the interrelationship of selected functional and body form measures, and to examine the differences between groups varying in activity levels. The volunteers for the study, 35 college women, were placed in activity groups termed “most active” and “least active” according to their response on an activity history-recall questionnaire. Functional measures included strength and flexibility. Strength was measured with a cable tensiometer and followed the procedures outlined by H. H. Clarke. Flexibility was measured using a Leighton Flexometer. Body form measures included height, weight, percent body fat, fat free body weight, specific gravity, and ponderal index. The range, mean, and standard deviation were computed for all parameters. The Pearson product-moment correlation was employed to determine interrelationships of all variables. Equality of variances among selected parameters was determined by the F test; Cochran-Cox and two sample t tests were used to determine the equality of means among selected parameters in the activity groups. Significant differences at the .05 level were found between the means of weight, fat free body weight, trunk extension flexibility, with the most active group exhibiting higher values. The least active group showed significantly greater shoulder extension flexibility, shoulder inward rotation flexibility, and ankle flexion flexibility.