Retrospective analysis of physical development of schoolchildren from the indigenous peoples living in the Magadan region of Russia’s North

Abstract

Introduction. Schoolchildren of indigenous ethnic groups inhabiting Magadan Region were examined to study their physical development.

Materials and methods. In 2005–2007 and 2021–2023, an adolescent 11–17-year-old students of the school in Evenks settlement, Magadan Region. In 2005–2007 another one hundredandeleven boys and one hundred and twenty-seven girls, in 2021–2023 participated in the survey, among them one hundred and forty-two boys and one hundred and forty-nine girls. Subjective body height (BH) and body mass (BM), chest circumference (CC), sitting height, right and left-hand strength, physique indices using a unified method. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, overweight and obesity was calculated WHO (Height-for-Age Z-score, BMI for-Age Z-score). Numeric data were analyzed using unpaired t-tests while categorical variables were compared using χ² tests.

Results and discussion. Retrospective analysis of the data revealed a significant increase in body height in boys. The smallest changes were observed in body weight, chest circumference, and handgrip dynamometry. Prepubertal girls (11 years of age) today are shorter and heavier than their peers born in 2005–2007, but the differences level out after a growth spurt. Chest circumference is smaller in older girls of the same age group. Sexual dimorphism is manifested by an increase in body length and hand muscle strength in boys, especially in modern adolescents. The samples are dominated by normal weight-height parameters according to WHO reference. A trend toward an increasing proportion of individuals with above-average/tall height parameters was identified among boys, while short/below-average stature was consistently diagnosed among girls over time. The overall prevalence of overweight increased today's adolescents. Retrospective discrepancies of antropometrics values testify to different rates of change in different times of physical development and indicate the shift of the age of biological maturation in modern adolescents to earlier ages. Greater asynchrony in growth processes between the sexes was revealed among today's adolescents compared to their peers born in 2005–2007.

Conclusion. The obtained results testify to faster acceleration and continuing asthenia processes experienced to a greater extent by boys than by girls.

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