Caliperometry as a tool for assessing children's physical development

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to assess the possibility of applying the calliperometric method to assess the physical development of children of primary school age who have chronic diseases in the stage of compensation. The research was carried out during 2017–2022 on the basis of the clinical units of the ONMedU. 120 children of primary school age were examined, including 30 – practically healthy (control group), 30 – from the group of frequently and long-term patients (Group I), 30 – from the number of children with congenital heart defects without signs of heart failure (Group II), and 30 – with signs of alimentary and constitutional obesity (III group). The physical development of children of primary school age was evaluated based on the results of anthroposcopic, anthropometric and physiometric indicators according to national standards of physical development. The assessment of body composition components (fat and lean body mass) was carried out according to Saunders R. in the modification of Velichko V.I., etc. The research was carried out in compliance with modern bioethical requirements, the children's parents signed a voluntary consent for the children's participation in the research. Statistical processing was carried out by methods of variance analysis using MS Excel software. It has been shown that obese primary school-age children have a body fat mass of (18.8±0.8)% for boys and (19.7±0.9)% for girls. In children of primary school age with normal body weight, in the presence of chronic diseases, body fat decreases by (10–15)%. Caliperometric method can be used to assess the physical development of children of primary school age who have chronic diseases in the stage of compensation. Keywords: prevention, primary school age, body weight, assessment of fat deposition, chronic diseases.