The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate buoyancy tests and determine the reliability of the tests. Our goal was to establish whether different buoyancy tests provide the same ratings or are there statistically characteristic differences between them. On the basis of our findings, we wanted to design new rating scales, which would be mutually more reliable. We wanted to find out if different genders account for statistically characteristic differences between the ratings, and which variables have the biggest influence on the final buoyancy rating at each individual test.
Our research included 53 subjects. The measurements were performed at the big pool at the Faculty of Sport and the small pool at the Faculty of Sport and Institute of Sport. In order to determine the reliability of three buoyancy tests, we used a statistical test that results in the Cronbach alpha coefficient. We used the t-test for independent patterns and the repeatability test to calculate statistically characteristic differences between the genders and the existing and new rating scale, while using linear regression analysis (the enter method) to establish the influence of variables on the final rating of the buoyancy tests. We created the main model, which included all the variables, as well as three sub-models, which included individual groups of variables.
We have established that the reliability of buoyancy tests according to the existing criteria is generally good (0,73), while the least reliable test is the supine position buoyancy test. Additionally, we have established that statistically characteristic differences arise in the individual test ratings. By using the newly designed rating scales for buoyancy tests for positions, where the subjects had their hands by the body and away from the body, we achieved better reliability (0,91), however the repeatability test has shown that statistically characteristic differences in the ratings of these tests still exist. We have established that the buoyancy test ratings for the position, where the subjects had their hands away from the body and the supine position buoyancy test, resulted in statistically characteristic differences between the genders. On average, women obtain higher ratings, regardless of the type of the rating scale. It is interesting that we have found no statistically characteristic differences in the ratings between genders for the position, where the subjects had their arms by the body, regardless of the rating scale we used. We have proven that buoyancy of the human body enables subjects to carry out different forms of therapeutic exercises in an aquatic environment, since the body weight of a fully submerged body is reduced by 96% of the total weight. During regression analysis, we have established that in model one, which included all the variables, vital lung capacity has the biggest effect, while the sub-models have shown that the variables of arm weight and muscle share in the body have a certain statistically characteristic effect.
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