Relationships between socioeconomic factors versus the anthropometric and motor characteristics of Polish female university students (2000–2018)

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between socioeconomic factors (SES), anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities of female university students. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 2000-2018 on 3955 female university students aged 19.72 ± 0.75 years who were randomly selected from the population of students attending obligatory physical education (PE) classes. The participants’ body mass and height were measured, and the students participated in 13 motor ability tests that assessed their speed/agility, flexibility, strength, endurance-strength, and endurance abilities. Multiple independent samples were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test or the mean-ranks post-hoc test when significant differences were observed in the participants’ motor abilities. Results: Statistically significant differences in the participants’ body mass, body height, BMI and motor abilities (speed/agility, flexibility – partly, strength, and strength-endurance) were associated with differences in the students’ SES. Greater mean differences in SES were associated with differences in the anthropometric and motor characteristics of students. Environmental factors such as the place of permanent residence, monthly budgets, mother’s and father’s educational background were least likely to be associated with female students’ endurance abilities. Conclusions: Female students who had higher monthly budgets, resided in large cities, and had better educated parents were generally taller and had a higher level of motor abilities. An inverse relationship was noted between motor abilities vs. body mass and BMI.