Correlation between Physical Growth and Flexibility in Korean Girls

Kim, Woo Kyoon; Kim, Dong Change; Chang, Shin Yo

Abstract

The study was conducted to measure the stature, span, body weight, standing trunk flexion and trunk extension of 989 healthy Korean school girls from age 11 to 14 and to determine the correlation coefficients among those items. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The average statures by age were 140.68cm at 11, 147.45cm at 12, 150.14cm at 13 and 154.76cm at 14 years of age, and the stature growth per year was 4.64cm. 2. The average spans by age were 137.60cm at 11, 145.52cm at 12, 149.33cm at 13 and 153.76cm at 14 years of age, and the span growth per year was 5.39cm. 3. The stature was always longer than span, but the difference between the two items decreased with the increase of age. 4. The average body weights by age were 33.89kg at 11, 38.84kg at 12,42.21kg at 13 and 47.62kg at 14 years of age, and the increase of body weight per year was 4.58kg. 5. Remarkable growth occurred in stature and spanfrom age 11 to 12, but in body weight from age 13 to 14. 6. The average standing trunk flexions by age were 5.14cm at 11, 7.50cm at 12, 11.44cm at 13, and 12.02cm at 14 years of age. 7. The average trunk extensions by age were 40.84cm at 11, 44.40cm at 12,47.68cm at 13 and 48.53cm at 14 years of age. 8. In flexibility (standing trunk flexion and trunk extension) the annual increase was the smalled from 13 to 14 years of age. This is probably because the increase in body weight becomes hindrance to flexibility 9. the correlation coefficients between stature and span showed very high values ranging from 0.93 to 0.82. The coefficients between stature and both weight as well as between body weight and span recorded high values in all age groups. But the values decreased with age. 10. the correlation coefficients between flexibilities and physical measurements showed very low values. 11. The correlation coefficients between flexion and extension were very low(0.15) at 11 and low(ranging from 0.25 to 0.37) after 12 years of age 12. The regression equations among all of the items in each age group are given in a table for reference.