The physical development of modern children and teenagers of the Nizhny Novgorod region

Abstract

Introduction. The physical development of the child population is traditionally one of the main indicators of its health and a marker of the social well-being of society. The total dimensions of the body are both hereditary and final effectors of long-term adaptation processes of the child′s body to the effects of the internal and external environment. The integral image of the proportions of the total body dimensions of the individualized and group orders is determined by the anthropometric habitus.   The purpose of the study is to study the anthropometric habitus, characterize the intragroup features of the total body size of children and adolescents in the Nizhny Novgorod region.   Materials and methods. In the cross-sectional observation in 2019–2021, 5 143 children and adolescents of the Nizhny Novgorod region aged 7–17 years old, 2 396 boys, 2 747 girls, took part. The program for observing the anthropometric indicators of students was approved by the local ethics committee of PIMU, carried out with the involvement of domestic, certified, trusted equipment.   Results. The physical development of the population of children and adolescents of the Nizhny Novgorod region shows intra-group tendencies, differences by gender, in the general population array. The presence of three groups of different tempo somatotypes was shown: mesosomatic boys 58,2 % and girls 61,4 %, microsomatic boys 20,9 % and girls 19,7 %, macrosomatic boys 20,9 % and girls 20,9 %. The modern difference in the growth of physical development indicators from 7 to 17 years of age in the gradation of the tempo somatotype showed that: microsomatics increased body length by a greater percentage (by 45,8 %), whereas mesosomatics this percentage was 43,1 %, and macrosomatics 39,9 %; also, MiS increased body weight by a greater percentage (by 190,5 %), in months it is 179,9 % and in MaS 168,5 %; mesosomatics show a greater increase in the circumference of the chest (by 48,3 %), microsomatics by 43,7 %, macrosomatics by 43,5 %, variances of indicator distributions in habitus differentiation show statically significant differences (p < 0,01).   Conclusion. Planned measures to monitor the anthropometric habitus should be carried out taking into account the belonging of individuals both to a certain age-sex group and to the tempo somatotype, that is necessary and sufficient condition for the successful planning and implementation of medical and preventive measures in the fields of pediatrics, hygiene, sports.