Abstract
The present study aims to identify the peculiarities of constitutional changes of some skeletal dimensions, which determine the shape and sex-linked traits of the body type of urban schoolchildren during puberty.The anthropometric data presented were collected by the author of the article during anthropometric measurement carried out annually in Minsk (between 1982 and 1991) mostly among the same schoolchildren, aged 7 to 17.The different body type (somatotypes) are determined and classified according to a scheme of somatotyping developed by Belarusian anthropologists (Salivon, Polina, 2003). The determination of somatotypes is based on the combined evaluation of five anthropometric indices, which describe the degree of skeleton massiveness and level of subcutaneous fat deposition in the body and the extremities. Two contrasting somatotype variants are distinguished – asthenized leptosomic and adipose hypersomic, as well as mezosomic and four intermediate types with varying degree of leptosomy or hypersomy. The comparative analysis of sex- and age-related variability in body length, chest circumference, shoulder breadth (bisacromial diameter) and maximum pelvic width (biacromial diameter) revealed the wave-like nature of body development process with alternating acceleration and deceleration of body dimensions growth. The constitutional peculiarities based on the development of bone formation are reflected in different time periods and rates of acceleration in annual indices increase. The growth process acceleration begins about one year earlier in hypersomic schoolchildren. On the contrary, it is delayed in leptosomic schoolchildren. Mezosomic children and adolescents have a more balanced body development with a reduced number of alternating minimum and maximum increases in the considered body dimensions.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
