Objective: the aim of the research was to determine the differences in fitness components among children and adolescents from urban and rural areas. Design/method: A sample of 5076 school children (2877) and adolescents (2199) from urban and rural areas from the region of Strumica (Macedonia). Physical fitness is estimated with 7 tests and that: standing long jump, sit-ups, bent arm hang, handgrip, sit and reach, speedagility, shuttle run 4x10 and three-minute step test. The differences in fitness tests, anthropometric measures and body composition by place of residence were examined by one-way analysis of covariance. Results: Rural children and adolescent have lower height, body mass BMI and body fat % and had higher muscular mass % cardiorespiratory fitness and speed-agility (all p < 0.001), than urban young people. Regarding muscular fitness, the results differed depending on the fitness test selected. Rural children and adolescent had a better performance in standing long jump, handgrip strength bent arm hang while they had a lower performance in sit-ups in 30 s (all p < 0.001), compared to their urban peers. Effect size was small-medium (Cohen's d = 0.1-0.5). Conclusion: children and adolescents from the rural environment show better results in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle fitness of the upper and lower extremities and have better coordination, speed and agility in comparison with their urban peers. The place of residence, apart from other environmental factors, should be taken into account when building a state strategy and interventions through which it will promote physical activity and health.

The aim of this study was to establish the anthropometric and physical profiles of young soccer players according to their playing position and to determine their relevance for competition success. One hundred and twenty young soccer players participated in the study. Players aged 19 were classified into the following groups: defenders (n=40), midfielders (n=40) and attackers (n=40). The anthropometric variables of participants (height, weight, body mass index, 4 skinfold, 2 diameters, and 2 perimeters) were measured. Also, their somatotype and body composition were calculated. Participants performed Bruce treadmill test protocol and Yo-Yo Intermittent Test to estimate their relative VO 2 max, sprint tests (5 m and 20 m flat), 2 jump tests (countermovement jump and standing long jump test), 3 tests for assessing agility (Illinois with balls and without balls, and 505-test) and seven fitness tests for assessing power, speed, agility, flexibility, frequency, abdominal muscle power and balance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determinate differences between team positions. On the base of the obtained results, it can be established that players playing in midfield position have less body height, weight, and achieve less results in fitness tests Illinois 20-meter running, leg-tapping, sit-ups in 30 seconds, but better results in the tests 'sit and reach', 'flamingo' and the tests of assessing maximum oxygen consumption compared to the defenders and attackers. The attack players have less values in skinfolds and achieve better results in 5-meter running test and standing long jump compared to the midfielders and defenders. The obtained results can serve as normative morphologic-functional indexes for regular medical control of young footballers in the R. Kosovo. They can also be used as a model of comparison of morphologic-functional data between young footballers of similar levels in different countries.

The lifestyle of children is most affected by the family, which is defined as a basic social community based on the common life of a close circle of blood relatives, usually parents and children, in which biological-reproductive, economic and education functions are combined. The purpose of the research is to confirm the impact of the educational level of parents on the lifestyle of their children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research included 110 students of both genders from SHMT “Mehmet Isai” and SHMAT “Arbëria” in Gjilan divided into two groups of 55 students, according to the educational level of their parents. The lifestyle survey included 8 questions on physical activity, daily cigarette consumption, alcohol, drug use, eating habits and sleep before and during COVID -19 pandemic. To verify the difference between the groups, the Chi-square test (χ² test) was applied. Survey analysis shows that children of parents with higher educational level have more knowledge about the role of physical activity and spend more time on physical activity, consume less cigarettes and alcohol and more regular eating and sleeping habits at the level p<0.00. We can conclude that the educational level of the parents has a significant impact on the motivation of children to engage in physical activity, reducing the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol, for sleep and regular nutrition.

To deal with sport activities, concretely with athletics, initially there should take place an early selection of children. Our search included 35 students’ athletes and 35 non athlete students. The overall number of 70 students of the age 15 were included in this research. There were applied 7 anthropometric variables, 6 motor tests and 2 motor specific tests as well. The main goal of this research was to determine the scale of difference between the two groups, respectively between the group of the non-athlete students and the one of the athlete students in some anthropometric characteristics, motor and specific motor as well. This work results show that training process within the frame of the athletics frame effects generally positively in positive development and transformation of human body in the aspect of morphological development, motor and specific motor aspects. All of it has been proved through reached changes of the students’ athletes group.