PECULIARITIES OF THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN AND RURAL SCHOOLCHILDREN OF THE IRKUTSK REGION

Abstract

Introduction. Physical development is one of the informative indices characterizing the health of the child population and reflecting the adverse effects of various environmental factors. Aim. To carry out a comparative assessment of physical development indices both in urban and rural schoolchildren in the Irkutsk region. Material and methods. The total body dimensions were studied. Results. Urban schoolchildren differ from rural peers in large body length indices (p = 0.000) and smaller values of the circumference of the chest (p = 0.002). The body weight of urban and rural boys had similar values, except for the age groups 9 (p=0,000), 12 (p=0,000) and 16 years (p=0,005). Rural schoolgirls outpaced urban peers by their body weight (р=0,016). Some differences from general patterns characteristic for the given period of ontogenesis are revealed: in rural schoolchildren, three crosses of growth curves are established. Correlation ratio of body length indices with other total sizes showed schoolchildren to have signs of desynchronization of physical development processes in different age periods. Discussion. The materials of the study indicate the processes of formation of total body size of rural and urban schoolchildren to differ. An assessment of the correlation ratios of body length parameters with other total sizes showed schoolchildren in different age periods to show signs of desynchronization of physical development processes.