23 CONCURRENT RESISTANCE AND ENDURANCE TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS IN MIDDLE-AGED OBESE FEMALES PROGRAM HKRATNE VADBE MO^I IN VZRD@LJIVOSTI ZA IZBOLJ[ANJE TELESNE PRIPRAVLJENOSTI @ENSK V SREDNJI DOBI S POVE^ANO TELESNO TE@O Jaak Jürimäe Toivo Jürimäe Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a ten-week concurrent resistance and endurance- training programme for improving physical fitness of middle-aged obese females. Eleven obese (body mass index BMI>27.0 kg/m 2 ) and 13 control (BMI<27.0 kg/m 2 ) females participated in the investigation. Three series of anthropometrical measurements were taken according to the O-scale Physique Assessment System. The ratio of waist to hip circumference (WHR) was calculated. Body composition was mea- sured with the bioelectrical impedance method (Bodystat 500, UK). Individual physical working ca- pacity (PWC) was measured with the cycle ergome- ter test. One repetition maximum leg extension (1RM LE) was used to assess maximal isoinertial strength. Training sessions were performed three times per week and resistance training consisted of four exerci- ses (leg extension, bench press, sit-ups, leg press). The subjects performed four circuits at maximal possible speed, using a work-to-rest ratio of 60 sec. The 75% 1RM load and 8-12 repetitions per set were used. The duration of resistance exercises was 32 min, which was followed by 30 min of continuous walking at the intensity of ≈ 75% maximum heart rate. Izvle~ek Namen {tudije je bil ugotoviti u~inek deset-tedenske hkratne vadbe mo~i in vzdr`ljivosti za izbolj{anje te- lesne zmo`nosti debelih `ensk srednjih let. Enajst de- belih `ensk (indeks telesne mase BMI>27.0 kg/m 2 ) in trinajst v kontrolni skupini (BMI<27.0 kg/m 2 ) je so- delovalo v {tudiji. Opravljene so bile tri meritve antro- pometri~nih mer glede na »O-scale Physique Asses- sment System«, iz dobljenih podatkov je bilo izra~unano razmerje pas-boki (WHR). Telesna sesta- va je bila izmerjena z metodo bioelektri~ne impedan- ce (Bodystat 500, UK), delovna zmogljivost (PWC) pa s testom na bicikel-ergometru. Za oceno maksimalne izometri~ne mo~i je bil uporabljen test enkratne mak- simalne no`ne iztegnitve (1RM LE). Vadba je potekala trikrat-tedensko. Vadbo mo~i so predstavljale {tiri vaje (iztegnitev noge, potisk s prsi, dviganje trupa in potisk z nogami). Vade~e so opravi- le {tiri serije z najve~jo mo`no hitrostjo, ob razmerju vadba-po~itek 60 s. Uporabljena je bila obte`itev 75% 1RM in 8-12 ponovitev v seriji. Vadba odpora je tra- jala 32 min, sledilo je 30 min neprekinjene hoje z in- tenzivnostjo pribli`no 75% maksimalnega sr~nega utripa. Debele `enske so imele zna~ilno (p<0.05) vi{je ko`- ne gube, obsege in premere. PWC in 1RM LE mo~ sta tudi bila zna~ilno vi{ja v skupini debelih. WHR je bil zna~ilno negativno povezan z vsemi izmerjenimi in- deksi telesne zmogljivosti pri debelih, pri kontrolni skupini pa ne; medtem, ko je neto telesna masa zna- ~ilno pozitivno povezana z omenjenimi indeksi pri debelih, ne pa tudi pri kontrolni skupini. Telesna te- `a, odstotek telesne tol{~e, koli~ina telesne tol{~e in vsota 8SF so se zna~ilno zmanj{ale po izvedenem pro- (Received: 20. 01. 2000 – Accepted: 06. 12. 2000) Institute of Sport Pedagogy, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia Contact address Jaak JÜRIMÄE Institute of Sport Pedagogy, 18. Ulikooli St., University of Tartu, EE- 51014 Tartu, ESTONIA Phone: +372 7 375 372 Fax: +372 7 375 373 Email: jaakj@ut.ee 24 Obese women had significantly higher (p<0.05) va- lues for skin-fold, girth and breadth measurements. PWC and 1RM LE strength was also significantly hig- her in the obese group. WHR was significantly nega- tively related to all measured physical fitness indices in obese but not the control subjects. While lean body mass was significantly positively related to all measu- red physical fitness values in obese but not control subjects. Body weight, body fat %, body fat amount and sum of 8SF were significantly decreased as a re- sult of the training programme in middle-aged obese females. While no significant effects of training pro- gramme on body composition characteristics were observed in middle-aged control women. PWC va- lues were significantly increased in both groups stu- died as a result of training programme. While 1RM LE strength was significantly increased after the trai- ning only in control subjects. In conclusion, the con- current resistance and endurance training program- me for the improvement of physical fitness of middle-aged obese females appears to be an accep- table form of physical activity to reduce body weight and increase cardiovascular fitness. Key words: obesity, females, concurrent training, body weight, cardiovascular fitness gramu vadbe pri debelih `enskah, medtem ko ni bil opa`en zna~ilen vpliv vadbe na telesne zna~ilnosti kontrolne skupine. PWC se je zna~ilno izbolj{al pri obeh skupinah, 1RM LE mo~ pa se je zna~ilno pove- ~ala le pri kontrolni skupini. Zdi se torej, da hkratna vadba mo~i in vzdr`ljivosti za izbolj{anje telesne zmogljivosti predstavlja sprejemljivo obliko telesne ak- tivnosti za zmanj{anje telesne te`e in izbolj{anje zmogljivosti sr~no-`ilnega sistema debelih `ensk sred- njih let. Klju~ne besede: debelost, `enske, kombinirana vad- ba, telesna te`a, zmogljivost, sr~no-`ilni sistem Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 25 Introduction Body size, proportions, physique and composition are factors, which influence physical fitness (Jürimäe and Jürimäe, 1998; Malina, 1994). It has been demon- strated that a taller stature has advantages over a shor- ter one in everyday dynamic work activities, as well as in exerting force against an external object. Shor- ter stature is favoured when human body has to be moved against gravity (Malina, 1994). Furthermore, skin-fold thicknesses are routinely used to estimate body composition and are included in physical fitness test batteries (Jürimäe and Jürimäe, 1998; Malina, 1994). Obesity appears to be a major coronary heart disea- se (CHD) risk factor (Donohue, Abbott, Bloom, Reed and Yano, 1987). Furthermore, longitudinal investiga- tions have demonstrated that the preferential depo- sition of body fat in the trunk region is independently associated with CHD and related mortality (Donohue et al, 1987). Numerous studies have linked sedentary lifestyle to low aerobic power (i.e., physical fitness) and increased risk of CHD and related mortality (Ber- lin and Colditz, 1990; Powell, Thompson, Caspersen and Kendrick, 1987). Recommendations of safe modes and risks of exerci- se depend on the type of exercise and the physical condition of participants. Different exercise sessions have been recommended for the prevention of obe- sity. Aerobic exercises have mostly been suggested for body weight control. At present, walking seems to be the most popular exercise that is recommended for obese people (DiPetro, 1995). However, there is a lot of data indicating that resistance exercises are also very useful in body weight control, especially when using lighter loads (40-60% of one repetition maxi- mum - 1RM) (Gettman and Pollock, 1981). Circuit weight-training programmes have also been recom- mended (Gettman, Ayres, Pollock and Jackson, 1978; Gettman, Ward and Hagan, 1982). Gettman et al. (1987) have defined circuit weight-training as perfor- mance of several repetitions, using moderate weights in a continuous fashion, moving from one station to another with a minimal rest between the stations. Cir- cuit weight training is also recommended to increase aerobic capacity (Gettman, Ward and Hagan, 1982). It was hypothesised that concurrent resistance and endurance training programme is an acceptable way to increase aerobic capacity and decrease body weight of obese middle-aged females. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a ten- week concurrent resistance and endurance training programme on the physical fitness parameters of middle-aged obese females. Methods Subjects Eleven obese (body mass index [BMI] > 27.0 kg/m 2 ) and 13 control (BMI < 27.0 kg/m 2 ) females participa- ted in this investigation (Table 1). All subjects were pre-menopausal women. They had not participated in a regular exercise programme for at least one year prior to the beginning of the study (exercising less than once per week). None of the subjects was taking any medication and all were free of musculoskeletal or other diseases, based on their medical history. They provided informed written consent for the investiga- tion. The study was approved by the Ethics Commit- tee of the University of Tartu. The anthropometric and fitness parameters were measured before and after ten weeks of concurrent resistance and endurance training programme. Measurement of anthropometry The heights (Martin’s metal anthropometer) and weights (medical balance scale) of the subjects were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm and 0.05 kg, respec- tively. Three series of anthropometric measurements on the right side of the body were taken by a trained anthropometrist according to the O-scale physique assessment system (Ward, Ross, Leyland, and Selbie, 1989). The anthropometer had previously shown a test-retest reliability of r > 0.90. The Centurion Kit instrumentation was used (Rosscraft, Surrey, BC, Ca- nada). In total, eight skin-folds, ten girths and two breadths were measured. In addition, the ratio of waist to hip circumference (WHR) was calculated (Lohman, 1988). Body composition was measured us- ing the bioelectrical impedance method (Bodystat 500, UK). Measurement of fitness Individual physical working capacity (PWC) was mea- sured using the cycle ergometer test. Three progres- sive workloads at intensities of 50, 100, and 150 W each, for a period of four minutes were used. Heart rate (HR) was measured at the end of each workload, using Sporttester Polar Vantage NV (Kempele, Fin- land). Individual PWC was calculated at the level of predicted HR MAX (205-1/2 age) by extrapolation. The 1RM leg extension (LE) was used to assess maximal isoinertial strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle. The warm-up for this measurement involved repea- ted loads approximating 25% of body weight. The ini- tial test load was 30% of body weight, additional 2.5 to 5.0 kg being added after every successful repetition (Abernethy and Jürimäe, 1996). Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 26 Training programme Training was performed three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for ten weeks. The first part of the training session consisted of four exer- cises to increase cardiovascular fitness, after a short (about 10 min) warm-up using LE, bench press, sit- ups, and leg-press exercises. The subjects performed four circuits at maximal possible speed, using a work- to-rest ratio of 60 sec. The 75% of 1RM load and 8- 12 repetitions per set were used (Abernethy, and Jürimäe, 1996). The duration of the whole resistance programme was 32 minutes. After the resistance exer- cises, the subjects performed 30 minutes of continu- ous walking on an indoor track (150 m). The subjects walked at an intensity of ≈ 75% HR MAX during the walking training session. HR was registered continu- ously during the whole programme, every five se- conds, using the Sporttester Polar Vantage NV (Kem- pele, Finland). The whole training session was held in the afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Statistical analysis Standard statistical methods were used to calculate the mean, standard deviation (±SD) and correlation coefficients. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the effects of group and ten weeks of concurrent resistance and endurance training pro- gramme for each dependent variable. Significance was set at p<0.05. The Scheffe method was used for post hoc analysis when a significant F ratio was found. Acknowledgements This study was supported by Grant No. 3021 from the Estonian Science Foundation. Results Physical profiles of obese and control subjects are pre- sented in Table 1. The groups were not significantly different in terms of age and height. However, obese women were significantly heavier and had signifi- cantly higher values for BMI than the control subjects. Obese women demonstrated also significantly higher values for all skin-fold, girth and breadth measure- ments (Table 1). Table 2 presents the body composition characteristics before and after the ten weeks of concurrent resistan- ce and endurance training programme in the obese and control groups. Body weight, body fat %, body fat amount and sum of 8SF were significantly decreased as a result of the training programme. No significant effects of the training programme on body composi- tion characteristics were observed (Table 2). Changes in physical fitness characteristics of middle- aged obese and control females after ten weeks of training are presented in Table 3. PWC values were significantly increased in both studied groups, as a re- sult of the training programme. The 1RM LE strength was significantly increased, after the training, only for the control subjects. No significant differences after the training programme were observed for obese sub- jects (Table 3). Correlational analysis demonstrated that significant relationships are present between the LBM value, the PWC and 1RM LE indices in middle-aged obese fe- males before and after the training programme (r>0.61; p<0.05). Similarly, WHR was significantly related to both physical fitness items, before and af- ter the concurrent resistance and endurance training only for the obese subjects (r>-0.58; p<0.05). All ot- her correlations between anthropometric parameters and physical fitness values, before and after the trai- ning programme in both groups studied, were not sig- nificant (r<0.31; p>0.05). Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 Table 1. Mean (±SD) anthropometric characteri- stics of obese and control groups before the trai- ning programme. Variable Obese (n=11) Control (n=13) Age (yrs) 39.3±5.2 37.2±6.3 Height (cm) 168.2±8.0 167.0±5.5 Weight (kg) 84.7±9.8 64.5±4.9* BMI (kg/m2) 30.1±3.1 22.5±1.5* Skinfolds (mm) Triceps28.4±7.518.4±5.1* Subscapular 32.6±10.3 15.1±6.0* Biceps18.6±5.59.8±2.9* Suprailiac 35.2±13.8 16.1±8.3* Supraspinal 26.0±8.3 12.0±5.6* Abdominal 39.7±13.7 19.4±9.7* Mid-thigh 42.0±12.0 28.4±7.4* Medial calf 27.6±9.5 17.7±4.9* Girths (cm) Relaxed arm 32.3±3.5 26.0±1.1* Flexed arm 33.5±3.6 27.1±1.9* Forearm 26.4±1.4 23.9±0.5* Wrist 16.3±0.6 14.0±0.3* Chest 103.4±6.4 87.7±5.5* Waist 87.9±5.8 71.5±5.4* Gluteal 108.3±7.1 96.8±3.3* Thigh 59.0±5.1 51.5±3.7* Calf 40.4±2.1 36.3±1.6* Ankle 23.7±1.5 21.7±1.5* Breadths (cm) Humerus6.8±0.46.3±0.3* Femur 10.1±0.7 9.3±0.3* Legend: BMI, body mass index. * Significantly different from obese group; p<0.05. 27 Discussion The resistance-training programme has been critici- sed for a lack of observed cardiovascular benefits (Na- gle and Irwin, 1960). However, many investigations have confirmed that resistance training might promo- te improvements in cardiovascular endurance (Gett- man et al, 1982; Pollock and Ewans, 1999). In the present study, the intensity of 75% of 1RM was used in the resistance part of the training session. This has been reported to be the most appropriate initial inten- sity for the development of strength-endurance (Har- ris and Holly, 1987). In contrast, Gettman et al. (1978) suggested that intensities greater than 50% of 1RM could not be tolerated by subjects attempting to com- plete a 22- to 30-min resistance programme. Howe- ver, all obese and control middle-aged females, who participated in this study, had no problems comple- ting a 32-min resistance training followed by 30-min endurance walking. The obese subjects performed the 30-min enduran- ce walking session reasonably well. Nobody found walking painful or very tiring. The obese women wal- ked more slowly during the walking training session in comparison with the control subjects. Obese subjects have a lower mechanical efficiency than subjects with normal body weight (Freyscuss and Melhec, 1978). In accordance with the study by Mattson et al. (1997), it was speculated that the obese women in our study were able to tolerate the necessary intensity and du- ration of walking to achieve beneficial effects. Thus, taken together, the concurrent resistance and endu- rance training programme for the improvement of physical fitness in middle-aged obese females appears to be an acceptable form of physical activity to redu- ce body weight and increase cardiovascular fitness. It is well known that obesity indices (i.e., BMI, WHR, body fat %) have been negatively associated with per- ceived fitness (Jürimäe and Jürimäe, 1998; Malina, 1994). Many studies have investigated the relations- hips between aerobic physical fitness and anthropo- metric obesity indices (Jette, Sidney and Lewis, 1990; Jürimäe and Jürimäe, 1998). For example, in a recent study, Jürimäe and Jürimäe (1998) demonstrated that Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 Table 2. Body composition characteristics before and after 10 weeks of concurrent resistance and endu- rance training programme in obese and control groups. Variable Obese (n=11) Control (n=13) Before After Before After Weight (kg) 84.7±9.8 79.4±6.8# 64.5±4.9* 63.9±6.5* BMI (kg/m2) 30.1±3.1 28.1±1.9 22.5±1.5* 22.4±1.3* WHR 0.81±0.05 0.80±0.07 0.73±0.04* 0.73±0.02* Body fat% 34.6±4.5 31.5±3.8# 21.3±3.7* 20.8±4.2* Fat (kg) 29.8±8.1 25.0±7.8# 13.2±4.4* 13.1±4.1* LBM (kg) 54.9±6.5 54.4±5.7 51.3±2.9* 50.8±2.6* Sum 8SF (mm) 250.1±8.4 233.9±7.5# 136.9±6.2* 132.5±5.7* Legend: BMI, body mass index; WHR, waist to hip circumferences ratio; LBM, lean body mass; Sum 8SF, sum of triceps, subscapular, biceps, su- prailiac, abdominal, mid-thigh and medial-calf skin-folds. * Significantly different from the corresponding value in obese group; p<0.05. # Significantly different from the corresponding value before the training programme; p<0.05. Table 3. Fitness characteristics before after 10 weeks of concurrent resistance and endurance training pro- gramme in obese and control groups. Variable Obese (n=11) Control (n=13) Before After Before After PWC (W) 225.7±74.1 254.3±65.6# 210.9±44.3 224.1±42.1# PWC/kg (W/kg) 2.7±0.5 3.2±0.4# 3.3±0.3* 3.5±0.5*# PWC/LBM (W/kg) 4.1±0.3 4.6±0.3# 4.1±0.2 4.4±0.4# 1RM LE (kg) 51.9±18.3 52.6±17.8 34.9±9.8* 39.8±6.7*# 1RM LE/kg 0.6±0.4 0.7±0.2 0.5±0.2 0.6±0.1# 1RM LE/LBM 0.9±0.2 1.0±0.2 0.7±0.1 0.8±0.1# Legend: PWC, physical working capacity; 1RM LE, one repetition maximum leg extension isoinertial strength; 1RM LE/LBM, one repetition ma- ximum leg extension isoinertial strength per lean body mass. *Significantly different from the corresponding value in obese group; p<0.05. # Significantly different from the corresponding value before the training 28 high body fat % substantially reduced muscular en- durance of obese women. Improvement in physical fitness increases aerobic capacity, decreases resting heart rate and blood pressure, reduces serum chole- sterol and triacylglycerols, and has psychological be- nefits both for lean and obese people (Gettman et al, 1982; Jette, Sidney and Lewis, 1990). The results of the present investigation indicated that PWC and isoinertial strength measures were negati- vely related to the WHR index for obese women, be- fore and after the ten-week concurrent resistance and endurance training programme (r>-0.58; p<0.05), while no significant relationships between PWC and isoinertial strength indices and WHR value were ob- served in the control group during training (r< -0.29; p>0.05). This demonstrates that the higher WHR va- lue of obese women has a negative effect on all mea- sured physical fitness indices. It has been demonstra- ted that certain anthropometric measurements, specifically those indicating central adiposity, are in- dependently associated with the development of to- tal CHD and related mortality (Donohue, Abbott, Bloom, Reed and Yano, 1987). While fat deposition in the periphery does not appear to result in increa- sed risk for CHD (Despres, Moorjani, Lupien, Tremb- lay, Nadeau and Bouchard, 1990). In contrast to the WHR index, the BMI value did not have any negative effect on the measured physical fit- ness indices in our investigation, for any of the groups studied. This means that an evaluation, not only of the extent of obesity but also of body fat distribution, is very important for middle-aged obese women. Si- milarly, several investigations have demonstrated that WHR appears to be a higher risk factor than BMI for females (Tanaka, Kakiyama and Takamara, 1995). Mo- reover, the risk of increased WHR has been reported to be independent of BMI, and of other established CHD risk factors (Bjorntorp, 1992). In contrast to aerobic fitness items (Jürimäe and Jürimäe, 1998), dynamic strength as measured by 1RM LE was significantly higher for obese women in comparison with age-matched controls in our inve- stigation, over the ten-week training programme (see Table 3). Heavier persons have been reported to pos- sess more muscle mass, and are therefore generally stronger than leaner persons (Malina, 1994). Similarly, obese subjects showed significantly higher LBM than the control subjects in our study (see Table 2). It has been reported in some studies (Forbes and Welle, 1983), that LBM could account for as much as 40% of the excess weight for most obese individuals. LBM was significantly related to physical fitness items in obese subjects, before and after the training program- me (r>0.61; p<0.05). This positive relation reflects the larger body size of fatter persons (Malina, 1994). Possibly, obese women need this higher LBM to move their heavier bodies around during everyday activi- ties. In summary, the concurrent resistance and enduran- ce training programme had positive effects on body weight and cardiovascular fitness parameters of midd- le-aged obese females. The results of our investiga- tion also demonstrated that higher WHR values had a significant negative effect on all the measured physi- cal fitness indices. It was concluded that our training programme is an acceptable form of physical activity for middle-aged obese females. However, further physical activity is needed to see more positive chan- ges in cardiovascular fitness and anthropometric pa- rameters for middle-aged obese females. References 1. Abernethy, P.J., & Jürimäe, J. (1996). Cross-sectional and longitu- dinal uses of isoinertial, isometric, and isokinetic dynamometry. 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Freyscuss, V., & Melhec, A. (1978). Exercise energy expenditure in extreme obesity: influence of ergometry type and weight loss. Scan- dinavian Journal of Clinical Laboratory Investigation, 38, 753-759. 9. Gettman, L.R., & Pollock, M.L. (1981). Circuit weight training: a cri- tical review of its physiological benefits. Physiological Sports Medi- cine, 9, 44-60. 10. Gettman, L.R., Ayres, J.J., Pollock, M.L., & Jackson, A. (1978). The effect of circuit weight training on strength, cardiorespiratory func- tion and body composition of adult men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 10, 171-176. 11. Gettman, L.R., Ward, R.P., & Hagan, R.D. (1982). A comparison of combined running and weight training with circuit weight trai- ning. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 14, 229-234. 12. Harris, K.A., & Holly, R.G. (1987). Physiological response to cir- cuit weight training in borderline hypertensive subjects. Medici- ne and Science in Sports and Exercise, 19, 246-252. 13. 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Nagle, F.J., & Irwin, L.W. (1960). Effects of two systems of weight training on circulorespiratory endurance and related physiologi- cal factors. Research Quarterly, 31, 607-615. 19. Pollock, M.L., & Ewans, W.J. (1999). Resistance training for health and disease: introduction. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 31, 10-11. 20. Powell, K.E., Thompson, P.D., Caspersen, C.J., & Kendrick, J.S. (1987). Physical activity and the incidence of coronary heart di- sease. Annual Reviews of Public Health, 8, 253-287. 21. Tanaka, M., Kakiyama, T., & Takamara, K. (1995). Changes in physical fitness and all cause mortality. Obesity Research, 3, 649S- 652S. 22. Ward, R., Ross, W.D., Leyland, A.J., & Selbie, S. (1989). The ad- vanced O-scale physique assessment system. Burnaby: Kinemetrix. Jürimäe, Jaak, & Jürimäe, Toivo. (2000). Concurrent resistance and endurance training programme… KinSI 6(1–2), 23–29 30 ATTITUDES OF THE SLOVENE PUBLIC TOWARD SOME CONTENT-RELATED QUESTIONS CONCERNING SPORTS CULTURE STALI[^A SLOVENSKE JAVNOSTI DO NEKATERIH VSEBINSKIH VPRA[ANJ KULTURE [PORTA Bojan Jo{t Janez Pustovrh Renata Mo~nik Bojan Lesko{ek Jo{t, B., Pustovrh, J., Mo~nik, R., Lesko{ek, B. (2000). Attitudes of the Slovene Public… KinSI, 6(1–2), 30–36 Abstract The objective of the research was to establish, on a represen- tative sample of the adult Slovene population (n=1851), the structure of attitudes toward some questions which to a large extent concern the issues of the development of sports cultu- re in Slovenia. Indeed, it is the public which can decisively contribute to the orientation of sports in a given social environ- ment. In order to attain as representative an assessment of the opi- nions of the Slovenes as possible, we used an adjusted quota sample, corresponding to the Slovene population with respect to the place of residence, gender, age, and education. The content of the subject of research was focused on the most acute problems of the development of Slovene sports (asses- sment of the successfulness of athletes, the method of finan- cing sport, assessment of the quality of sports facilities, asses- sment of the benefits of sport from the aspect of prevention of pathological social phenomena, assessment of the importance of sports education in making people more interested in follo- wing sport, assessment of the cultural diversity of physical edu- cation in school from the aspect of the diversity of sports). The data on the attitudes were obtained by means of a survey que- stionnaire of a closed-ended type in June 1998. The results showed a high degree of validity consensus of the surveyed sample in the majority of the attitudes. In the indivi- dual attitudes, a high bipolarisation of the answers was estab- lished. The results of the research confirmed the basic hypot- hetical assumption, that among Slovenes there is a similar opinion of the majority as regards the assessment of sports ac- hievements, quality of sports facilities, financing of sports, be- nefits of sports from the aspect of prevention of social patho- logical phenomena and content orientation of physical education. Key words: culture of sport, values, attitudes, public opinion Izvle~ek Namen raziskave je bil, na reprezentativnem vzorcu odrasle slovenske javnosti (n=1851), ugotoviti strukturo stali{~ do ne- katerih vpra{anj, ki v veliki meri zadevajo problematiko razvo- ja kulture slovenskega {porta. Prav javnost je tista, ki lahko od- lo~ilno prispeva k usmeritvi {porta v dolo~enem dru`benem okolju. Da bi dosegli ~im bolj reprezentativno oceno mnenja Sloven- cev smo uporabili prilagojeni kvotni vzorec, ki bi ustrezal slo- venski populaciji glede na regijo bivanja, spol, starost in izo- brazbo. Vsebina predmeta raziskovanja je bila usmerjena na najbolj pere~e probleme razvoja slovenskega {porta (ocena us- pe{nosti {portnikov, na~in financiranja {porta, ocena kvalitete {portnih objektov, ocena koristi {porta z vidika prepre~evanja socialno patolo{kih pojavov, ovrednotenje pomena {portne vzgoje pri ozave{~anju ljudi za spremljanje {porta, ovrednote- nje kulturne pestrosti {olske {portne vzgoje z vidika razli~nosti {portnih zvrsti). Podatke o stali{~ih smo pridobili s pomo~jo anketnega vpra{alnika zaprtega tipa v mesecu juniju 1998. Rezultati so pokazali visoko stopnjo vrednostnega konsenza anketiranega vzorca v ve~ini stali{~. Pri posameznih stali{~ih je bila ugotovljena visoka polarizacija odgovorov. Rezultati razi- skave so potrdili osnovno hipoteti~no predpostavko, da med Slovenci obstoja ve~insko podobno mnenje o vrednotenju {portnih dose`kov, kvaliteti {portnih objektov, financiranju {porta, koristnosti {porta z vidika prepre~evanja socialno pa- tolo{kih pojavov in vsebinski usmerjenosti {portne vzgoje. Klju~ne besede: kultura {porta, vrednote, stali{~a, javno mne- nje (Received: 30. 11. 2000 – Accepted: 15. 12. 2000) University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sport, Ljubljana, Slovenia Contact address Bojan Jo{t Univerza v Ljubljani - Fakulteta za {port, Gortanova 22, SI-1000 Ljub- ljana, Slovenia Tel: +386 1 540-10-77 Fax: +386 1 540-22-33 E-mail: Bojan.Jost@so.uni-lj.si