Abstract:

Physical activity plays an important role in prevention of chronic diseases; insight into the interaction between physical activity and health need to be quantified. The research goal was to investigate relationship between anthropometric parameters and physical fitness in learners with visual impairment. Twenty one male students with various degree of visual impairment participated (aged: 24-51 years) and tested on (1) six anthropometric predictors, including body weight, body height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to hip ratio (WHR), and (2) five Physical Fitness Factors (PFF) measuring: Heat rate, Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, right and left grip strength, flexibility and Aerobic endurance. Correlation and survey research design was adopted for the study. Descriptive statistic (mean, S.D) and inferential statistic (Pearson correlation and regression) were computed with SPSS version 20. Linear (y = a + bx) and multiple linear (y = a + b₁x₁ + b₂x₂ …..b_nx_n) equations were calculated to determine the degree of association and predict PFF from respective anthropometric variables. All anthropometric parameters produced an extremely weak relationship with physical fitness factors. In this study, no association is found between body weight and systolic blood pressure, no relationship between hip circumference and static right grip strength. Considering the goal of this research, it is concluded that there is a significant relationship between health’s related anthropometric measure and physical fitness factors. Then we can use these measurements to predict values in any of the physical fitness components because the techniques are non-invasive and cost effective.

References:

[1] Adeyanju, E.S.(2008). Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of FCE Kano female soccer players to the 2007 MCEGA Games. Journal of Education, 1(1), 225-231

[2] Ahmad, A., Mohsen, A.B., Mohammad, D., Alimardani, M.(2012).Relationship between physical fitness and anthropometric indicators in non-athlete students. Annuals of Biological Research, 3(9), 4617-4621. www.scholarresearchlibrary.com

[3] American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM). (2000). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

[4] Awotunde, P.O. & Ugodulunwa, C.A. (2004). Research methods in education. (Rev. ed.) Jos Fab Anieh Nigeria Ltd.

[5] Blessing, D.L., & McCrimmon, D. (1993). The effect of regular exercise program for visually impaired adsighted school children. Journal of visual impairment & Blindness, 87, 50-52.

[6] Bray, G.A. & Gray, D.S.(1988). Obesity: Part 1-Pathogenesis. Western Journal of Medicine 149:

429-441.

[7] Bueli, C.E. (1982). Physical education and recreation for the visually Handicapped. Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and dance.

[8] Colak, T., Bamac, B., Aydin, M., Mreic, B., & Ozbek, A.(2004).Physical fitness levels of blind and visually impaired goalball team players. Isokinetics and exercise science, 12,247-252.

[9] Copper Institute for Aerobics Research. (1997). The Physical Fitness specialist certification manual. Dallax Texas: USA.

[10] Crespo, C.J., Ainsworth, B.E., Keteyian, S.J., Health, G.W., & Smith, E. (1999). Prevalence of physical inactivity and its relation to social class in U.S adults. Results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, 1888-1994. Medicine & Science 31: 1821-1827.

[11] Dalton, M., Cameron, A.J., Zimmet, P.Z., Shaw, J.E., Jolley, D., Dunstan, D.W., & Welborn, T.A. (2003).Waist circumference, waist-hip ratio and body mass index and their correlation with cardiovascular disease risk factors in Australian adults. Journal of internal medicine, 254,555-563.

[12] Depres, J.P., Prud’homme, D., Pouliot, M. C., Tremblay, A., & Bouchard, C. (1991). Estimation of deep adipose- tissue accumulation from simple anthropometric measurements in men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 54: 471-477.

[13] Fogelholm, M., Malmberg, J., Suni, J., Santtila, M., Kyrolainen, H., & Mantysaari, M.(2006).Waist circumference and BMI are independently associated with the variation of cardio-respiratory and neuromuscular fitness in young adult men. International Journal of Obesity, 30,962-969.

[14] Heyward, V.H. (2002). Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription. 4^th Ed. Burgess Publishing company.IL: USA.

[15] Hopkin, W.G., Gaeta, H., Thomas, A.C., & Hill, P.McN.(1987).Physical fitness of blind and sighted children. Eur J Appl Physiol, 56,69-73.

[16] Jaafari, L.(20012).Health-related anthropometric measures in connection with physical fitness factors. IPEDR, 31,21-24.

[17] Thylefor B, Negrwel AD, Pararajasegaram R, (1995). Global Date in Blindness Bull WHO 1995; 73: 115 – 21

[18] Lieberman, L.J.(2002).Fitness for individual who are visually impaired or deaf blind. Helen Reid educational foundation 34 (1),13-8023.

[19] Lieberman, L.J., & McHugh, E.(2001). Health-related fitness of children who are visually impaired. Journal of visual impairment, 5,272-287.

[20] National Committee on High Blood Pressure.(1997). Data from the 6^th report on detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood pressure. NIH Publication No. 98-4080.

[21] New king James Bible.(2000). For bodily exercise profited little. 1 Timothy Chapter 4 verse 8.

[22] National Cholesterol Education Program. NCEP. (2001). Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program expert panel on detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285: 2486-2497.

[23] Pratt, M., Macera, C., & Blanton, C. (1999). Levels of physical activity and inactivity in children and adullts in the United States: Current evidence and research issues. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 31 (Suppl.): S526-S533.

[24] U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (1996).Physical activity and health: A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta,GA: U.S Center for Disease Control, Prevention and Health Promotion.

[25] Wang, Z.M, Pierson R.N., Heymsfield, S.B.(1992). The five-level model: a new approach to organizing body-composition research. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 56: 19-28

[26] WHO Working Group. (1986). Use and interpretation of anthropometric indicators of nutritional status. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 64: 929-941. ries 854

[27] WHO (1995). Report of WHO Expert Committee. WHO Technical Report Series 854.

[28] WHO Report.(1998). Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultant on Obesity. Geneva: World Health Organization.

[29] Zenic, N., Foretic, N., & Blazevic, M.(2013).Nonlinear relationship between anthropometric and physical fitness variables in untrained pubescent boys. Coll Antropol, 37(2),153-159.