The impact of summer holidays on the physical development of school-age children

Abstract

The aim of the work was to investigate how gender, age and type of activity in summer affects the indicators of physical development (PD) of children. 1054 students (493 boys and 561 girls) aged 7-16 years took part in the study. The PD of children was studied by assessing somatometric and physiometric indicators. To assess the impact of the type of activity, a thematic questionnaire "Summer" was used. It was found that the gender and age of children had a significant effect on PD indicators in the summer. The most intense increase in body length occurred at the age of 7-12 years, body weight - in 10-14-year-olds, and up to 16 years grouth of two parameters gradually slowed down. From the age of 10, children showed a positive increase in lung capacity (LC). In 15-year-old adolescents, a decrease in both indicators (ChC and LC) was found. It was found that 62% of children carried out educational activities in the summer, 24% of those were engaged in business activities, almost 40% of students were participants in hiking trips and 23% of children attended a children's health camp. The chosen type of activity in the summer influenced the indicators of the pupils' PD as follows: educational activities were accompanied by a decrease in body length and strength of the left arm, business activity, hiking trips and staying in a health camp were accompanied by an increased weight gain and an increase in LC.