Comparing Factors of Physical Fitness and Determining Their Relationship with Anthropometric Characteristics of Students at Iranian Officer Training Universities

Abstract The present study aims at comparing factors of physical fitness and determining their relationship with anthropometric characteristics of first- and second-year students at Iranian officer training universities. To conduct this research, 40 students were selected who in their first and second year of studies at maritime university. Samples were put into two groups of 20 students. The mean and standard deviation of age, height and weight for first-year students were 19.5 ± 1.2, 174.9±4.6, and 70±9.1, and for second-year students were 20.3±.03, 175.6±6.9, and 71±8.7, respectively. Administering physical fitness tests, the sample groups were compared to each other and then anthropometric characteristics of first-year students were measured by anthropometry instrument to compare them with physical fitness factors. To analyze the data, Independent sample T-test were operated and to determine the differences between first and second-year students, concerning investigated factors, and to predict physical fitness factors based on anthropometric characteristics multiple correlation coefficient at the alpha level of .05 was used. As the results showed, comparing endurance of abdominal muscles, flexibility of back muscles, and cardiac endurance and body mass index (BMI), there was no significant differences between first- and second- year students. However, there was a significant difference between these two groups in their shoulders muscles endurance. Also, investigating the relationship between physical fitness factors and anthropometric characteristics, there were direct correlations between cardiac endurance, abdominal muscles endurance, flexibility, fat percentage, fat mass, non-fat mass, weight and BMI.