Comparative analysis of the morphofunctional development of adolescents in the Magadan region depending on the type of settlement

Abstract

Introduction. The physical development of adolescents is an important indicator of both their health and the health of society. The lifestyle in an urban or rural environment has a significant impact on the physical development of adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare anthropometric indicators of physical development in children and adolescents residing in urban and rural localities of Magadan оblast.

Materials and Methods. In 2022, a one-time study was conducted involving 2349 schoolchildren aged 11 to 15 years. Of these participants, 1253 were residents of Magadan city, while 1,096 lived in villages located within the continental part of the region. The following parameters were measured: body mass (BM, kg), body length (BL, cm), chest circumference (CC, cm), hand grip strength (right and left hands), as well as body mass index (BMI, kg/m²). Obtained data underwent statistical analysis and were compared with average values across different age and gender groups.

Results and discussion. The research demonstrated that urban adolescents generally exhibit higher levels of physical development compared to their rural peers. Urban boys surpass their rural counterparts regarding BM and BL at ages 11 and 13 (p<0.05), as well as CC at ages 11–12 and 15 (p<0.05). Initial active increases in anthropometric indicators begin for urban boys between ages 13-15, whereas rural boys experience them earlier–from ages 11–12. Urban girls significantly exceed rural ones by BM and BL at age 11 (p<0.05), and by CC at ages 12 and 14 (p<0.05). Active increase in BL and CC occurs simultaneously among both groups during ages 11–12; however, maximum BM increment happens later–for urban girls it’s at ages 13-14, while for rural girls it's already observed at ages 11–12. Regarding muscular strength, hand grip force is consistently higher among urban adolescents of both genders. BMI indicators have increased both towards excess weight and obesity, as well as towards deficiency and delayed weight gain among adolescents from both urban and rural environments.

Conclusion. Urbanization has a significant impact on the physical maturation of adolescents. Urban adolescents demonstrate higher indicators of physical development compared to their peers from rural areas. However, rural adolescents demonstrate higher rates of annual growth in the main anthropometric and strength indicators at the age of 11–12 years.

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