2015, Volume 11, Issue 1

The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12



Andrzej Mroczkowski1, Mariusz Mateusz Sikorski2

1The State School of Higher Professional Education in Konin, Konin, Poland
2Non-public Primary School “Milenium”, Gniezno, Poland


Author for correspondence: Andrzej Mroczkowski; The State School of Higher Professional Education in Konin, Konin, Poland; email: a.mroczkowski[at]wlnz.uz.zgora.pl


Full text

Abstract

Background and Study Aim: One of the relevant indicators of human motor safety, regardless of age, is the susceptibility to injuries during a fall and level of abilities related to motor coordination. The overall aim of this paper is to obtain knowledge about these features of children aged from 10 to 12 and to answer the question whether training in sports clubs is a factor which stimulates these features more than physical activity limited to compulsory physical education classes. The specific objective is to determine the relationship between global coordination and body balance disturbation tolerance skills of children aged 10-12.

Material and Methods: The study involved 88 children aged 10 to 12 (53 boys and 35 girls), whereas 27 boys participated only in compulsory physical education classes and 26 of them additionally took part in trainings conducted by sports clubs. STBIDF test was applied to measure susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and ‘Rotational Test’ was used to assess body balance disturbation tolerance skills. Both tests have been developed by Kalina. Global coordination was measured with the use of Starosta coordination test. Information about falls of children studied have been obtained by means of an anonymous questionnaire.

Results: No statistically significant differences in test results (indicators) have been revealed among the examined children. The results of questionnaire surveys indicate that children in primary school and in sports clubs were not taught the safe falling technique. Boys who train in sports clubs are less susceptible to head injuries during a fall in comparison to boys who participate only in physical education classes. The study showed an average negative correlation (r = —0.612 boys, girls r = —0.578) between the results of body balance disturbation tolerance skills and global coordination obtained both by boys and girls. Respondents who were able to achieve large range of sum of rotation angles to the left and to the right in the global co-ordination test made at the same time less errors during ‘Rotational Test’.

Conclusions: High susceptibility to injuries during a fall of children and lack of significant differences between studied groups proves small effectiveness of a traditional model of physical education in teaching themotor safety. Motor patterns of sports activity recommended by sports clubs do not substantially improve this situation. Global coordination tests and tests of body balance disturbation tolerance skills turned out to be significantly correlated tools to assess abilities related to motor coordination of girls and boys aged 11-12. Therefore, in certain circumstances they may be used interchangeably.


Key words: global coordination, motor safety, Rotational Test, safe fall, rotational movements


Cite this article as:

AMA:

Mroczkowski A, Sikorski M. The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports. 2015;11

APA:

Mroczkowski, A., & Sikorski, M.M. (2015). The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, 11

Chicago:

Mroczkowski, Andrzej, Sikorski Mariusz Mateusz. 2015. "The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12". Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports 11

Harvard:

Mroczkowski, A., and Sikorski, M.M. (2015). The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, 11

MLA:

Mroczkowski, A., and Sikorski, M.M. "The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12." Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, vol. 11, 2015

Vancouver:

Mroczkowski A, Sikorski MM. The susceptibility to body injuries during a fall and abilities related to motor coordination of children aged 10 to 12. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports 2015; 11