Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T17:25:52.773Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - The growth of working capacity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2010

Get access

Summary

In this chapter, we shall examine the influences of environment and heredity upon the growth and development of working capacity, considering also problems of methodology, activity patterns and facets of athletic performance peculiar to the child.

Considerations of methodology

Types of survey

There are three potential approaches to the study of growth and development (Shephard & Rode, 1975). The traditional method is well exemplified by the IBP study in Saskatoon (Bailey et al., 1914b) and an analogous study of French Canadian schoolchildren (Shephard et al., 1974b). Cohorts of children are followed in a longitudinal fashion, with observations being repeated at intervals of six to twelve months, for a total period of ten to fifteen years. This technique allows a rather precise definition of growth spurts, but it is expensive and time-consuming, particularly if the tests to be used are more than simple measurements of body dimensions. Further, in primitive societies affected by rapid acculturation, there is a danger that normal processes of growth will be confounded with changes brought about by alterations in habitual physical activity, diet and other environmental variables.

The cross-sectional survey is a much cheaper alternative, used for example in many of the Czechoslovakian and Japanese contributions to the IBP (Seliger, 1970; Hasegawa et al., 1966; Ikai, Shindo & Miyamura, 1970; Matsui et al., 1971). In a relatively stable industrialized society, a useful overall picture of development is obtained.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×