Secular Changes in the Anthropometric and Motor Characteristics of Polish Male University Students Between 2000 and 2018

Objectives To determine changes in the anthropometric and motor characteristics of young males during the first 20 years of the 21st century in Poland. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in 2000-2018 on 2691 randomly selected male university students aged 19 divided by 25 (20.0 +/- 1.1 years). The participants' body mass and height were measured, and the students participated in 13 motor ability tests. The analyzed traits were evaluated by testing the fit of linear and curvilinear functions to empirical data. Results The students evaluated in 2018 were 1.7 cm taller than their peers tested in 2000. Body mass and BMI values continued to decrease between 2000 and 2006 (by 0.46 kg and 0.15 kg/m(2)per year on average), whereas a steady and significant increase in both parameters was observed between 2006 and 2018 (by 0.45 kg and 0.12 kg/m(2)per year on average). The results of motor tests were strongly correlated with body mass and BMI, and they continued to improve until 2006, after which a steady decline was observed up to 2018 when the students scored lowest in motor tests. Conclusions The trend of increasing body height has been maintained in the studied population, but unlike body mass and BMI, the rate of increase in body height was lower than in the preceding years. A decrease in body mass and BMI is correlated with an improvement in motor tests, whereas an increase in the above parameters leads to a significant decline in all evaluated motor abilities.