AN ANALYSIS OF ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS, BODY COMPOSITION AND MENSTRUAL HEALTH PROFILE OF YOUNG FEMALE SPORTSPERSONS IN KERALA
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Abstract
Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the anthropometric measurement, body composition and menstrual health profile of chosen young female sportspersons in Kerala. This research was carried out on a total of 131 young athletes, ranging in age from 13 to 24 years old, who were recruited from various colleges throughout the state of Kerala. The average age of the participants was approximately 18.78 years old, with a standard deviation of 2.35 years. All participants underwent an evaluation of their height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR), and body composition variables, including body fat percentage, water percentage, protein percentage, obesity percentage, bone mass, muscle mass, lean body mass, metabolism, visceral fat, and body age. The anthropometric parameters and body composition variables were evaluated with standard techniques and tools. In this study, descriptive statistics, including the mean, frequency, and standard deviation, as well as the one-sample t-test, were applied. The findings of the anthropometric parameters indicated that the mean BMI values were found to be 21.18±4.37, p=.000. According to WHO BMI classification for Asians, 49.61% of the players were normal, 12.97% belonged to the overweight category and 9.16% to pre-obese category. 23.66% and 4.5% were in the underweight and obese type I categories respectively. Mean Waist to Hip ratio (WHR) was .885±.104, p=.000. The results of the body composition revealed that the mean body fat percentage was 21.78±9.63, p=.000, mean water percentage was 51.56±7.66, p=.034, mean protein percentage was 20.61±4.60, p=.128, mean obesity percentage was .686±19.79, p=.000, mean bone mass was 2.09±.58, p=.044, mean muscle mass was 39.84±6.18, p=.000, mean lean body mass was 42.06±6.89, p=.000 and mean visceral fat was 2.74±2.18, p=.000. The women’s health profile also showed that high perception towards regularity in menstrual periods and low perception towards taking medicines for menstrual cramps.
In the results, anthropometric parameters and body composition profiles (Protein Percentage) were statistically significant (p-values >0.05), indicating better anthropometric measurements and body composition scores among the sportspersons.