ANALYSIS OF THE FLEXIBILITY OF PRE-PUBESCENT CHILDREN FROM BOTH GENDERS AND DIFFERENT FINANCIAL CONDITIONS.

Abstract

Considering that flexibility is an important component of human performance and fitness, and it is definitely incorporated to the Physical Education definitions in all areas, this study proposes a comparative analysis among the hip flexibility of 60 pre-pubescent children (ages 8-11) from both genders and different financial conditions, residents in the city of Teresina, Piauí State, who practice recreational activities. The children were divided into two equal-sized groups: children on low incomes (G1) and the children on higher than 4 minimum wages (G2). The “Seat and Reach” Test (Johnson; Nelson, 1979) proposed by Achour Junior (1999), was applied to evaluate the flexibility level of the children's hamstrings. For the statistical analysis, a database was created in Microsoft Excel 2003 and the analysis was accomplished through SPSS 9.0. The results showed that there was a significant difference on the children's flexibility level regarding the financial conditions. The group of children on low incomes (G1) presented a higher average (27.87 cm). As for gender, in a general way, the boys of the sample were more flexible (57.5% of boys and 45% of girls), it is due to the number of girls in the groups, which was smaller and, besides, in the G2 group only 33.33% of the girls reached the minimum criterion of 25 cm established by the Physical Best proposal (1988).