Composición corporal en niños de 9 a 13 años del cantón Baba en el periodo de mayo 2025.

Abstract

Introduction: Sports activity plays a key role in a child's development, primarily in terms of health, but also in helping to enhance both aptitudes and attitudes such as discipline, improved social skills, teamwork, among others. Understanding anthropometry and somatotype allows us to know an individual’s body dimensions, which helps identify the most suitable sports disciplines according to their natural physiological capabilities. Objective: To determine the body composition of children aged 9 to 13 in the Baba canton during the period of May 2025. Methodology: This research study follows a quantitative-qualitative cross-sectional approach, with a descriptive and observational scope. It is quantitative in nature, as numerical data was collected and analyzed through anthropometric assessment; cross-sectional, as the evaluation was carried out at a single point in time; descriptive, because it focuses on describing the characteristics of the population without seeking causal relationships; and observational, meaning that data was recorded and observed without manipulating the variables. Results: It was observed that, among the 40 participants, 16 girls presented an endo-ectomorphic somatotype, making it the most prevalent. Conclusion: Using the CDC growth charts, it was observed that the majority of the female participants (53%) are in the HEALTHY WEIGHT category; on the other hand, only 25% of the male participants fell within this range. Additionally, the skinfold measurements obtained during the sampling process showed that all participants fall within a normal range.