Physical aptitude related to the health of initial graders: A study between groups assisted and non assisted by a Physical Education professional

Abstract

The aim of this study consists in checking possible differences in aptitude levels related to health, among students in the first school years, who participate in Physical Education lessons given by a qualified professional instructor (municipal and private schools) and students who attend lessons given by regular schoolmasters (state schools). The subjects of this study are 626 students of the initial school years, in the municipality of Santa Cruz do Sul (RD). Evaluations included Body Index Mass, Body Fat Percentage, Resilience, Abdominal Resistance and Cardiorespiratory Resistance. The results attest that the state schools, without the assistance of a professional Physical Education Teacher, presented a bigger percentage of unsatisfactory results in the evaluated variables, with the only exception of Abdominal Muscle Resistance. Differences between averages by school network were detected with regard to Resilience, with averages significantly lower in state schools, without a professional Physical Education instructor; and Cardiorespiratory Resistance, with state schools again showing significantly lower averages compared to other school networks. In general, in our study, it was possible to observe that students attending lessons given by professional Physical Education instructors presented better physical aptitude indices for resilience and cardiorespiratory resistance if compared to students whose lessons are given by regular schoolmasters.