Peculiarities of length-weight somatometric indices in school-age children of the industrial center

Introduction. Children’s health is of particular value, being a medical, biological and social and labour potential for any state. Objective and informative health indices include parameters of the physical development.

The aim of the study is to assess length-weight somatometric indices in children studying in general educational institutions of Ulan-Ude.

Materials and methods. The sample of respondents included nine hundred thirty two school-age children. Variables were sampled for length and weight, body mass index was calculated and compared with WHO criteria. Descriptive statistics are expressed as mean and standard deviation, Student’s t-test was used to compare means.

Results. Among children of the industrial center, persons with harmonious physical development predominate (51.9±2.6%). Among the variants of disharmonious physical development in boys and girls, excessive body weight (27.3±2.3% and 22.9±1.9) and high height (12.6±1.7% and 14±1.6%, respectively) prevailed. The proportion of other variants of disharmony (low length, body weight deficit and their combination) is small. The phenomena of sexual dimorphism are quite pronounced in children — acceleration of growth differed from the general patterns earlier by 2–3 years.

Limitations. The results of the study have limitations in relation to children with various health disorders. Given the small number of age groups, as well as the fact that children of one industrial center were examined, the diagnostic significance of the data obtained may be less objective.

Conclusion. Regional features of growth-weight somatometric indices are important to timely identify children with disharmonious development as early as possible to prevent long-term consequences.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (conclusion of the LEC No. 1 of January 27, 2022), conducted in accordance with the generally accepted scientific principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association (as amended 2013)

Contribution:
Bogdanova O.G. — concept and design of the study, collection of material, text writing;
Mylnikova I.V. — statistical data processing, text writing;
Urbanova E.Z. — organization of research, collection of material, statistical data processing;
Tarmaeva I.Yu. — study organization, study concept and design.
All co-authors — approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgment. The work was carried out within the framework of the funds allocated for the fulfillment of the state task of East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research.

Received: May 29, 2024 / Accepted: June 19, 2024 / Published: October 16, 2024