Abstract

Introduction: Physical fitness is the ability to perform moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity without undue fatigue, having ample energy to enjoy leisure time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies.
Aim: This study was conducted to compare the physical fitness performance levels among rural, semi-urban and urban of primary school children in their abdominal strength, flexibility and cardio-respiratory endurance in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria.
Methods: To achieve this purpose, a total of 270 subjects were used in this research. They were randomly selected from among the schools, to serve as subjects in the study. All the subjects were tested in the selected variables e.g. flexibility, muscular endurance and cardio-respiratory.
Results: The results of the findings of this study did not revealed significant difference between the male and female subjects involved in the test. The results further revealed no significant difference between gender and between subjects from the rural, urban and semi-urban schools in their cardio-respiratory endurance. The findings of this study also revealed that subjects did not differ significantly by gender in their flexibility performance. However, the flexibility performance of semi-urban school subjects in the Federal Capital Territory is significantly different from that of the rural and urban school subjects. There was no significant difference between subjects in rural and urban schools in their flexibility, whereas the subjects in rural, semiurban and urban schools did not differ significantly in their cardio-vascular endurance measured by the VO2max.
Conclusion: The results of study confirmed that between the male and female subjects in the rural, semi-urban and urban primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, irrespective of their locations, did not differ significantly in their abdominal strength, flexibility and cardio-vascular endurance measured.
Recommendation: On the basis of the results of this study, it was recommended that facilities and equipment for physical education activities should be provided by the stakeholders in primary schools of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.