Anthropometric Characteristics And Physical Fitness Of Urban And Rural 8-10 Years Old School Girls Of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Background: The assessment of anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness assist the researcher in comparing the growth and health status of urban and rural school girls. Purpose of this research was to examine anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness of urban and rural school girls of district Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Methods: The participants were government primary schoolgirls (urban = 200), and (rural = 200), within the age of 8-10 years. The selected anthropometric and physical fitness variables were stature, body mass, skinfolds, girths, breadths, lengths, speed, standing broad jump, agility, ball throw, handgrip strength, endurance, and flexibility. A student t-test was applied to assess the difference between urban and rural school girls in their anthropometric and physical fitness measures. Results: Results showed the urban school girl was significantly superior in body mass, iliac-crest skinfold(P< .04), abdominal skinfold(P< .04), waist girth (P< .04), hip girth (P< .01), thigh girth(P< .01), arm length, and hand length. In contrast, the rural school girls were significantly higher in speed(P< .02), agility(P< .02), ball throw (P< .02), flexibility( P< .03), run and walk (P< .04) than the urban school girls. Conclusion: It is concluded the urban school girls were higher in skin folds and girths, indicate high body fats than rural school girls. As a result, urban school girls were lower in fitness capacity than rural because higher body fat reduces fitness performance. It is suggested the parents and school administration focus to provide such activities to improve physical fitness and reduce body fats of urban school girls. The future study focusses on investigating the effects of food intake on the anthropometric characteristics, and physical fitness of urban and rural school children.

The Effectiveness of Educational Intervention Program on Knowledge of BSE among Secondary School Girls in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan / Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia

@#Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is important to be introduced to secondary school girls in order to develop a positive health behavior. Limited attention has been given on knowledge among school girls. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of educational intervention program on knowledge of BSE among secondary school girls in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 502 volunteered secondary school girls using pre and post self-administered validated questionnaire. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 14.9 (± 0.1) years. Majority of the participants were Malays (87.1%). Pre-intervention educational program revealed that 91% of the participants had poor knowledge whereas 9% had good knowledge on BSE. Post-educational intervention program showed that knowledge has increased by 33.4% and percentage for ‘poor’ knowledge reduced by 33.4% from pre-intervention scored (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference on knowledge of BSE among participants with and without family history of breast cancer (p = 0.204). Health campaign was the top source of information to gain knowledge related to BSE prior (56.6%) and after (90.2%) the intervention program (p<0.001). Thus, the educational intervention program was found to be effective method to improve the knowledge on BSE among secondary school girls.

Assessment Of Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Regarding Early Menarche Among School Girls In Bangalore

In recent years the age of attaining puberty has declined gradually, from 14 or 15 years to 8 or 9 years. At such a young age there is lack of awareness regarding physiological, psychological and behavioral changes during menarche. The aim of the study is to assess the level of knowledge (K), attitude (A) and practice (P) regarding menarche among girls (n=30) in rural and urban schools in Bangalore, Karnataka. A data collection instrument (DCI) was developed to quantitatively measure the KAP. Our results show that, irrespective of the place of residence, only 20% of both rural and urban school girls had a moderate KAP(50 – 75%) regarding management of menarche. To address this lack of awareness, we propose an interventional package which is nurse led education, nurse led discussion and nurse led demonstration of exercises during menstruation

Perceptions of Food Allergen Labeling in School Meal Service among Middle School Girls in Incheon

The purpose of this study was to suggest strategies for effective food allergen labeling in order to prevent food allergies in school meal service. Food allergy experience, eating behavior, and perceptions of food allergen labeling in school meal service were surveyed and compared according to the food allergy experiences of middle school girls in Incheon. Seventy-eight students (17% of total subjects) experienced food allergies. For eating behaviors, students with food allergy experience had significantly higher scores for using nutritional knowledge in their life than inexperienced subjects. For the perception of food allergen labeling in school meal service, girls who had experienced food allergies more often checked labeling of school meals for allergenic foods than those who had no experience of food allergies (P < 0.001). The most desirable method for displaying allergenic foods was an indication of the allergenic food name among students who had experienced food allergies and allergenic food number of the current method for students who had not experienced food allergies (P < 0.001). Students who had not experienced food allergies showed significantly lower interest in food allergen labeling than subjects who had experienced food allergies (P < 0.001). For the importance score of information items in nutrition labeling, allergenic food score was significantly higher in students who had experienced food allergies (3.9 vs. 3.4 points, P < 0.001). These results indicate that students who have experienced food allergies are more interested in food allergen labeling of school meals and that they are more aware. Efforts to improve labeling method such as directly labeling allergenic food name and a more visible indication are required for efficient utilization of food allergen labeling in school meal service.

Assessment of eating habits among adolescent Nigerian urban secondary schoolgirls.

Background: Eating habits are associated with the occurrence of obesity. In adolescence, eating habits differ greatly from that of any other phase of life. Objective: To describe the eating habits of adolescent urban secondary schoolgirls in Benin City, Nigeria. Methods: In this school-based cross-sectional study, data were obtained on the eating pattern and habits of adolescent urban public school girls, aged 12-19 years, using a structured anonymous-self-administered questionnaire. Information was obtained on frequencies of skipping meals, reasons for skipping meals, food choices as well as socio-demographic characteristics of participants. All the students in 2 randomly selected girls’ schools formed the study population. Data were entered directly from the pre-coded questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS for Windows version 15.0. Results: Total study population in the 2 schools was 2,166 of which 2,097 (97%) students participated in the study. Mean age of the participants was 14.8±1.9 years (95% CI=14.7-14.9). Fifty three percent were from families of middle socio-economic status, 85% of them living with their parents. Among the participants, 1,009 (48%) admitted skipping at least one meal fortnightly. Of the 3 main meals, breakfast was most frequently skipped (46%) and dinner least frequently skipped (22%). Frequency of skipping meals was 30%, 50% and 59% among participants less than14 years old, 14-16 years old and above 16 years old respectively (p<0.001). The 2 main reasons cited by participants for skipping breakfast were lack of appetite and time. Only 15% of the participants consumed fruits and vegetables daily. Sixty percent of the participants consumed fast foods with 76% of them consuming fast foods along with soft drinks. Conclusion: Meal skipping, consumption of fast foods along with soft drinks and low consumption of fruits and vegetables were the main eating habits displayed by adolescent urban schoolgirls in Benin City, Nigeria.

Assessment of age at menarche of Nigerian urban school girls

Age at menarche varies with time of onset and the influence of social factors depends on the population under consideration. The objective of the present study was to determine the age at menarche among secondary school girls in Benin City, Nigeria and identify some of the social factors that might influence it. In this cross sectional study information on age at menarche was obtained from 1,640 menstruating secondary school girls (aged between 10 and 20 years) using the status quo method. Information sought in the structured questionnaire used included date of birth, date of menarche, educational attainment and occupation of parents, birth position, family size and State of origin. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 12.0. The mean age at menarche was 13.44±1.32 years (95% Confidence Interval, CI= 13.36-13.50). One out of every 15 (6.7%) girls below 12 years of age had attained menarche, indicating early menarche. There was statistically significant relationship between the mean menarcheal age and socioeconomic status (p< 0.001), birth position (p< 0.01) and family size (p< 0.01). The current mean age at menarche among secondary school girls in Benin City is 13.44±1.32 years and it is influenced by socioeconomic status, birth position and family size.

Self-Esteem and Attitudes of Girls Orphaned to HIV/AIDS towards Education in Kampala, Uganda.

Aims: To examine the relationship between self-esteem and attitudes to education among orphaned and non-orphaned adolescent secondary school girls in Kampala. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Institute of Psychology, School of Education, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda between June and October 2005. Methodology: Questionnaire including the socio-economic indicators, Rosenberg General Self-Esteem Scale and the Attitude Scale were administered to 225 students who were selected by simple random sampling in six secondary schools in Kampala, Uganda. Results: Orphaned girls had lower self-esteem and most had a negative attitude to education compared to non-orphans. However, girls orphaned to HIV/AIDS had a higher self-esteem compared to those orphaned by other causes and there was a positive correlationship between self-esteem and attitude towards education among orphaned adolescent girls in Kampala, Uganda. Conclusion: Non-orphaned girls have a higher self-esteem than orphaned girls. Non-orphaned girls have a more positive attitude to education compared to orphaned girls. Girls orphaned to HIV/AIDS have slightly higher self-esteem than those orphaned by other causes, but had the worst attitude to education. Recommendations: A special needs program should be designed to support orphan girls in secondary school so as to enable them perform better in their education. Additional study should be conducted among secondary school boys to compare the effects of orphan hood to their education and to see whether there are some disparities in the two genders of the same age group.

Menstrual pattern of adolescent school girls of Bhavnagar (Gujarat).

Menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon for females indicating her capability for procreation. However this normal often associated with some degree of sufferings and embarrassment. The prevalence of menstrual disorders has been recorded as high as 87 % though there is a relative openness in the society as well as commercialization has increased, the menstrual hygienic practices have not changed much. Mostly it is because of a sense of hesitation and to an extent, because of financial restraints. Present study was carried in this line to find out problems. Aims and Objectives: To find out the age of menarche of girls and to know menstrual pattern and menstrual hygiene practice & to find out the prevalence and types of menstrual disorders. Materials and Methods: Present cross sectional study was carried out at Govt. High school of Bhavnagar city. Total 745 Adolescent school girls were interviewed by trained female interns Information was obtained in a self administered proforma in a local language related to age of menarche, total days of bleeding, regularity of cycle, menstrual hygiene and menstrual problems after verbal consent. Results: The mean age of menarche was found to be about 14 (13.99, S.D. 1.8). Most of the girls (88.1%) had the prior information about menstruation before the occurrence of the event. The most common menstrual pattern was 30/3-5 days. The most common menstrual disorder was dysmenorrhea (50.6%), followed by irregular menstruation (22.9%). Most of the girls (87.3 %) used old plain cloth as menstrual absorbent. Conclusion: Adolescent girls should be made educated about normal physiology of menstruation and menstrual hygiene at schools.

Relationships of Body Image, Body Stress and Eating Attitude, and Dietary Quality in Middle School Girls Based on Their BMI

This study investigated the body image, body stress, eating attitude, and dietary quality in middle school girls. Questionnaires were administered to one hundred fifty seven middle school girls in Seoul area. The subjects were categorized into the five groups according to their body mass index (BMI); 1) severely under-weight (BMI or = 25 kg/m2). 7.0%, 14.6%, 58.9%, 10.2%, and 10.2% of the subjects were classified as severely under-weight, under-weight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively. Regardless of the BMI, the subjects had disturbed body image, body stress, and poor eating attitude. The actual BMIs of the normal weight, overweight and obese subjects were significantly different from their desired BMI and perceived BMI, representing these subjects dissatisfied their body shape. Almost all subjects tried to lose their body weight even in the severely under-weight and under-weight groups. There were significant correlations of BMI with body image disturbance (p < 0.05), body stress (p < 0.01) and eating attitude (p < 0.05). These results indicated that middle school girls who have higher BMI seemed to have more body image distortion, body stress and risk of eating disorder. However, any significant difference in dietary quality among the five groups was not observed even though their dietary patterns were not balanced. As a conclusion, it is required that middle school girls should correct their distorted body image and body stress. Also, efforts to improve eating attitude, dietary pattern and nutritional status in the middle school girls are needed.

Physical work capacity of young underprivileged school girls: Impact of daily vs intermittent iron-folic acid supplementation – A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To assess impact of daily and intermittent iron-folate (IFA) supplementation on physical work capacity of underprivileged schoolgirls in Vadodara. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Municipal Primary schools. Participants: Schoolgirls (n=163) in the age group of 9-13 years. Intervention: Three randomly selected schools were given IFA tablets (100 mg elemental iron + 0.5 mg folic acid) either once weekly or twice weekly or daily for one year. The fourth was the control school. Outcome Measures: Hemoglobin, modified Harvard's Step test for physical work capacity. Results: All three IFA supplemented groups showed significant improvement in number of steps climbed and recovery time compared to controls; with impact being relatively better in girls with higher Hb gain (>1 g/dL) vs. lower Hb gain. Similarly, higher the frequency of dosing better was the impact- it being the best in daily IFA group. Twice weekly IFA was as good as daily IFA under conditions of good compliance. Conclusion: Twice weekly IFA supplementation is comparable to daily IFA in terms of beneficial effects on physical work capacity in young girls.

Influence of stress on snack consumption in middle school girls

Stress has been known to change dietary behaviors and food intakes in individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stress level on the frequency and the amount of snack consumption. The high stress group (HS) showed significantly higher frequency of consumption for bread, chips, cookies, ramyeon, and frozen snacks (p<0.05) compared to low stress group (LS) with higher frequency of snack consumption (p<0.01), and increased intakes of energy, carbohydrates, and sodium from snacks (p<0.01) than LS. As the stress level became higher, the proportions of students with irregular meals, overeating, and night snacking increased (p<0.01). Also, 33.0% of the subjects answered that they consumed an increased amount of snacks when they were feeling stressed. Our results indicated that stress has negative influence on snack consumption in middle school girls.

A Study on Factors Affecting Experience of Smoking in Middle School Girls / 아동간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify the factors affecting the experience of smoking in middle school girls. A comprehensive analysis of individual and family factors was used. METHOD: The students in this descriptive survey on causal relations were 433 girls enrolled in middle schools selected by convenience sampling. The data were collected in November-December 2003 and logistic regression analysis was used to build a forecast model. FINDINGS: The findings showed the following, 1) Individual factors such as grade, alcohol consumption, sexual experience and the frequency of exposure to pornographic materials, and 2) family factors such as parental living arrangement were significant factors. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The experience of smoking among Korean middle school girls was associated not only with individual factors, but also with family factors, which exert a strong influence on health behavior. There is therefore a need for school-based smoking prevention programs, which deal comprehensively with these factors that influence smoking. It is recommended that a program be developed that will help to control the variables identified in this study along with follow-up study to verify the model.

Effects of a Sexual Assertiveness Training Program in High School Girls / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop an applicable training program for high school girls on sexual assertiveness. METHOD: The design combined methodological study and non-synchronized quasi experimental study designs. The participants were 174 high school girls from two schools. Two questionnaires were used, one consisted of 23 questions on self efficacy and the other, of 22 items on sexual assertiveness. The SPSS 10.0 program was used for data analysis. Experimental group 1(3 hour program) and experimental group 2(6 hour program) were received on sexual assertiveness. The sexual assertiveness program was carried out by members of the research team. There were no differences in demographic characteristics between control group, experimental group 1, and experimental group 2. RESULT: There was no significant increase in self efficacy scores in experimental group 1 over the control group, but there was a significant increase in sexual assertiveness scores in the experimental group 1 over the control group. There was an increase in self efficacy scores in experimental group 2 over the control group, but it was not significant. There was a significant increase in sexual assertiveness scores in experimental group 2 over the control group. There was no significant increase in self efficacy scores in the experimental group 2 over the experimental group 1, and there was no significant increase in sexual assertiveness scores in experimental group 2 over the experimental group 1. CONCLUSION: The results show that a 3 hour program was as effective as a 6 hour program for sexual assertiveness. Therefore, it is advisable to use a 3 hour program for clinical convenience. But further study is needed to determine the lasting effect on sexual assertiveness.

Locus of Control and Eating behavior of Obese Middle School Girls / 아동간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between health locus of control(HLOC) and eating behavior in obese middle school girls. METHOD: The sample consisted of 170 obese middle school girls in Seoul. RESULT: 1. The average scores of HLOC were HLOC-Internal ; 4.11, HLOC-External ; 2.45, HLOC-Chance ; 2.09. 2. The average scores of eating behavior factors were Disinhibition ; 2.69, Dietary Restraint ; 2.67, Hunger ; 2.55. 3.The HLOC-Internal and eating behavior(dietary restraint and hunger) were correlated positively. The HLOC-Chance and disinhibition was correlated positively. But HLOC-Chance and dietary restraint was correlated negatively. The HLOC-External and eating behavior(dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger) were correlated positively. 4. There was not a significant difference in HLOC depending on the demographic characteristics(grade, degree of obesity, father & mother's body shape, existence of obese sibling). There were significant differences in HLOC-Internal and HLOC-External according to thinking about oneself who is obese or not. 5. There was not a significant difference in eating behavior depending on the demographic characteristics(grade, degree of obesity, father & mother's body shape, existence of obese sibling, perception of oneself as a obese). CONCLUSION: This study has shown a correlation between HLOC and eating behavior. As a result of these findings, clinical and school nurses should be involved in management and counselling of obese girls concerning individual health locus of control and eating behavior.

Abnormal Eating Behavior and the Influential Factors among Female Middle School Students in Beijing / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective:To investigate the distribution of abnormal eating behaviors among middle school girls in Beijing and the psychological factors having influence on these behaviors Methods: HDI and ESC-21 were used to investigate 636 female middle school students in Beijing Results: (1) According to the BMI of the subjects, 80 3% of the subjects answered that they had paid attention to their weight and stature (2) The mean BMI of the subjects were 19 38, which is in the normal range, but their ideal body mass index(IBMI)was lower than the normal standard (IBIM

Strategies to Prevent Sexual Problems in Teenage School Girls in Korea / 여성건강간호학회지

To identify strategies to prevent sexual problems in teenage girls, respondents in this study answered two open-ended questions: "What are strategies for teenage school girls to prevent unwanted coitus?" and "What are strategies for teenage girls to prevent pregnancy?" The respondents were 12,733 girls from an accessible population of 19,000, a multi-stage cluster sample from a population of 1,988,902 girls attending 4,684 schools in the seven largest cities and nine provinces in Korea. Data were collected by mail between October 2 and October 28, 2000. The response rate was 68.9%. The total number of responses for the first question was 10,345, and for the second, 9,624. Data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of this study are: 1. According to priority, frequent strategies to prevent unwanted coitus were, self assertiveness (35.7%), heterosexual interaction training (24.6%), sex education (21.2%), and innovations in the system of social culture (4.7%). The order of priority was the same whether the respondents had experienced coitus or not. 2. According to priority, frequent strategies to prevent pregnancy were, heterosexual interaction training (27.4%), sex education (26.2%), contraceptive use and induced abortion (21.4%), and innovations in the system of social culture (3.2%). The first priority for the respondents who had not experienced coitus was heterosexual interaction training (27.7%) but contraceptive use (35.5%) was the first priority for the group who had experienced coitus. In sex education, a focus on contraceptive use for teenage girls who have experienced coitus and on heterosexual interaction training for those who have not, would strengthen preventive strategies for these two sexual problems. Assertiveness training as part of sex education would further strengthen prevention strategies.

The relationship between headache, depressive tendency and family function-in high school girls in Seoul-

BACKGROUND: Headache is one of the most common symptoms having experienced by many people. High school girls are expected to experience headache very often. Their proper treatment and adequate medical service is doubtful, and stressful environment of the Korean high school will augment the chronicity of headache. Knowing the forms of headache and categorizing the headache according to headache classification system is important for proper treatment of headache. Types of headache in high school girls have been categorized using International Headache Society (IHS) system. The relationships of headache with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Family APGAR score of the headache groups and control group are investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to attribute to the treatment of the headache in female youths. METHODS: The questionnaires .on headache, under direct interviews, was given to each high school girls in Seoul, from March 1 to 31, 1999. The headache group was subclassified into migraine group, tension headache group and other headache group, using IHS system. Furthermore, the migraine group was subclassified into migraine with aura (classic migraine), migraine without aura (common migraine) and other migronous disorder. The students who had not experienced any headaches during the recent one year have been selected as the normal group. The normal group was compared with the headache group, i.e., tension headache and migraine. Depressed tendency was assessed using the BDI; and family function was evaluated by Family APGAR. The data are analyzed using SPSS 8.0. RESULTS: Among the subjects, 304 (60.4%) high school girls had experienced a headache during the previous one year. The girls with migraine, tension headache, and other types of headache were 110 (38%), 81 (27%) and 113 (35%), respectively. The migraine group showed higher BDI scores (p0.05) CONCLUSIONS: When the headache in high school girls was classified by using IHS system, headache in the migraine group was more prevalent than in the tension headache group and normal group. And the migraine group had more depressive tendency. When physicians deal with the headache in high school girls, they need to be aware of migraine headache and associated depressive tendency.

A Study of the Nutritional Intake from Lunch-Box of Middle School Girls in the Chonbuk Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The present study was conducted to evaluate nutritional intake by lunch-box of middle school girls who live in Chonbuk area. Anthropometric measurements and food intake from lunch-box over a three day period were investigated in a total of 110 middle school girls from rural (n = 37) and urban (n = 73) areas. The results are summarized as follows : 1. Not all the steamed rice in the lunch-box had enough mixed-cereal. 2. In the survey of food intake by food groups, 70.5% of the food came from the cereal group. 3. The intake of protein, phosphate, Vitamins B1 and B2, niacine and Vitamin E were adequate, however, the intake of other nutrients was significantly lower than those of one-third of the Korean RDA. 4. Protein, lipid, and zinc intakes of the students from the rural area were significantly lower than those of students from the urban area, however, the carbohydrate and dietary fiber intakes of those in the rural area were significantly higher than those of the students in the urban area. 5. The percentage of calories from carbohydrate : protein : lipid ratio was 67.6 : 12.2 : 16.9 for students in the rural area and 59.2 : 14.9 : 22.5 respectively for those in the urban area. In Summary, the intake of calcium, iron, Vitamins A, B6, and D, folate and zinc from lunch-box in middle school girls was much lower than that of one-third of the Korean RDA. The intake of carbohydrate and dietary fiber of the students in the rural area was significantly higher, but that of protein, lipids, and zinc was lower than that of the students in the urban area. Therefore, nutritional education programs for both students and their parents should be provided to improve the daily food intake from lunch-box.

The Effect of the REBT Group Program on the Weight Control of Obese High School Girls / 아동간호학회지

This study was conducted to identify the effect on the weight control of the REBT group program as a nursing intervention. For this purpose, non-equivalent control group design with pretest and posttest and follow-up test as quasi-experiment was used. Subjects of the study were consisted of twenty-four obese girls (Experimental group: 10, control group: 14) who appeared to having above 20% of the body mass index from ane high school in M city. The whole program was carried out from January to June, 2000. Used dependent variables for evaluating the effect of the REBT group program including were weight control belief(rational thinking, emotion about exercise, eating self-efficacy, eating behavior), body mass index and serum lipids(total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein). For evaluating the effect of the program, dependent variables was analyzed by experimental stages three times; the first week, the fourth week, and the eighth week since the experimental input began. Data were analyzed by the SAS PC+ program with t-test, repeated measure ANOVA to determine the effect of program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; 1. After the REBT group program, only eating self-efficacy among the weight control belief of experimental group was significantly increased than that of control group. 2. After the REBT group program, body mass index of experiment group was significantly decreased than that of control group. 3. After the REBT group program, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein among the serum lipids in the experiment group were significantly decreased than those of control group.

A study on bone stiffness and related factors in healthy secondary school girls / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to examine the bone stiffness of healthy girls during their growth period and factors affecting on such stiffness. The subjects were 302 secondary school girls in Tokyo. Parameters examined included the body characteristics (standing height, body weight, bone stiffness measured by ultrasound, muscle thickness measured with the ultrasound B-mode system), extension power of the lower limb (containing the knee and hip joints), and a questionnaire about the daily intake of milk, kinds of meals and number of years from menophania. These examinations were carried out in June 1997.<BR>Results were summarized as follows : 1) From the observation of bone stiffness in secondary school girls, it appears that bone stiffness increases during the junior high school period. In other words, the bone stiffness of the subjects had almost reached on adult level by high school. 2) A significant positive correlation was recognized between chronological age and bone stiffness (r=0.365, p<0.05) . A positive correlation also existed between the years from menophania and bone stiffness (r=0.477, p<0.05) . These coefficients showed that the years from menophania correlate with bone stiffness more closely in comparison with chronological age. 3) In the period when short comparatively years from menophania, body characteristics, which were the index of maturity, correlated to bone stiffness. However, muscle thickness/power, which was related to exercise habit, became the major parameter correlating with bone stiffness. These results suggest that factors affecting bone stiffness should differ according to the growth period. 4) Comparison of different athletic clubs showed that the bone stiffness of volleyball players was higher than that of control. These data suggest that physical education class, which was given 3 times a week, is not enough for total body development in both quality and quantity. In other words, physical education should be better matched with total physical development, including the growth of healthy bones.