Dissertation abstract: (including summary, objectives, implementation methods and results
obtained): The aim of this research is to firstly determine the socio-economic factors that are
effective in talent selection of elite karate athletes in Iran and then to determine the relationship
between body mass index, body fat tissue weight and body fat-free tissue weight and body fat
percentage as indicators of body composition and capital.
The socio-economic status of Iran's karate elites. According to the exploratory nature of the first
part of the subject, the qualitative research method was used, at first, we identified an initial list
of effective signs through preliminary studies and systematic review of related sources. Next, 16
interviews were conducted with experts knowledgeable about the subject of the research (the
head of the karate federation and the heads of the talent search and training committee of the
karate federation, national coaches, the secretary of the national Olympic committee, etc.) The
interviews continued until the theoretical saturation stage was reached. At first, open coding was
done, and then in axial coding, the final signs were classified into thirteen concepts and four
main categories. Finally, the main categories identified as a result of selective coding, including
the level of education and knowledge of parents, support and support of parents, and income
level of parents were determined. The theoretical model arising from the findings of the present
study can address the sociological issue and the category and sub-categories of socio-economic
capital in the first stage in order to avoid wasting time and money in the process of finding talent
and identifying talented people for this sport. And then to examine other physiological,
biomechanical, psychological and anthropometric factors. In the second part of the research,
which was a quantitative part, it was conducted on 56 elite Iranian karate players (purposive
sampling). In order to collect information on social and economic capital in this research, a
researcher-made questionnaire and anthropometric measurements based on the ISAK protocol
are used to determine body composition indicators. Cronbach's alpha test was used to determine
the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, and Pearson's correlation test was used to
determine the relationship between the variables. The findings of the research showed that the
body mass index has a significant relationship with the level of education and awareness of
parents and the level of income and employment status of parents, and the weight of lean body
tissue has a significant relationship with the level of income and the weight of body fat tissue has
a significant relationship with the level of education of parents.