Assessment of strength-endurance in first year secondary school students

In this study, a battery of physical tests called BAPFFRES was applied to measure strength-endurance in students aged 11 to 15 in educational district 08-03 in the Dominican Republic. The approach was quantitative and the design was non-experimental and exploratory. A non-probability convenience sample of 186 students out of a total of 226 was selected. The battery consisted of an abdominal test, a push-up test, and a squat test, each lasting 60 seconds. The execution protocol was validated by two experts, and the reliability of the tests was validated using Pearson's coefficient in the male and female groups, respectively (abdominals r = 0.961 and 0.987, push-ups r = 0.956 and 0.967, and squats r = 0.971 and 0.995). Descriptive statistics were calculated for both groups, and four performance categories were established (excellent, good, fair, and poor). In sit-ups, 21% of the male group and 11% of the female group achieved excellent performance. In push-ups, 9% of the male group and 14% of the female group excelled in this category. In squats, only 8% of the male group and 11% of the female group achieved an excellent level. Gender differences were determined and opportunities for improvement were identified, mainly in upper body strength. It is recommended that BMI be included in future studies to analyze the relationship between physical performance and nutritional status.