Differences in Certain Anthropological Indicators of Seventh-Grade Elementary School Female Students in Rural and Urban Areas

Abstract

The process of programming and implementing a system for monitoring the morphological characteristics and motor abilities of elementary school students is particularly important in physical education. However, a small number of studies have dealt with the effects of the subjects’ residential status on their morpho-motoric status. The aim of this study was to examine and determine the differences in certain anthropological indicators of seventh-grade elementary female students in urban and suburban areas in the territory of Lasithi, Crete. The study was conducted on a sample of 112 seventh-grade female students from four elementary schools (one from the urban and three from the rural part of Lasithi). The subjects were divided into two subsamples: urban and rural Lasithi from Crete, 56 girls each (urban = 56 subjects, rural = 56 subjects). The results of this study are significant, confirming the assumption that areal factors contributed to the difference in the morpho-motoric status of the subjects. Specifically, statistically significant differences were recorded in the variable body height, while in the variable body weight, such differences did not exist. Regarding motor variables, girls from rural areas were significantly better on two out of seven motor tests, while girls from urban areas were only better on one. No statistically significant differences were recorded on the other tests. Considering that this study was conducted on a relatively small sample of subjects (112) and a limited geographical area, the results obtained cannot be generalized.