engleski

DIFFERENCES IN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN FEMALE STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB

The aim of this study was to establish differences in morphological characteristics among female students of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Teacher Education. The sample consisted of 255 female students, 78 students of Kinesiology, 84 students of Teacher Education and 93 students of Medicine. The sample of variables was comprised of eleven morphological characteristics. Central and dispersion parameters were calculated for all the variables and for each group. The normal distribution of variables was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The significance of differences between the groups was determined with the univariate analysis of variance(ANOVA) and the discriminant analysis. The Kolmogorov- Smirnov test showed a normal distribution of all variables. The ANOVA and discriminate analyses showed statistically significant differences in morphological characteristics between the groups of examinees. The variable for assessing the risk of obesity and the variables for estimating body fat contributed the most to the formation of global differences and the defining of the latent content of discriminant functions. Kinesiology students who engage in systematic daily physical activities have significantly lower body fat and more muscle mass while the Teacher Education and Medical students have higher levels of body fat because of their inclination to a sedentary lifestyle. It was concluded that there are statistically significant differences in morphological characteristics between female students from the Faculty of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Teacher Education.

anthropometric characteristics; body fat; physical activity; health

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