Comparative analysis of anthropometric body dimensions between primary school students from Kosovo and Montenegro, in relation to their age

Abstract

Abstract: Stages of growth and development in children are affected by various internal and external factors, some of which have a greater impact than others. Among internal factors, the most important one is the genetic factor which includes disposition, gender, race, etc. However, during phases of growth and development in children, it is important to know what is the body condition of the child as a system, and the functionality of each subsystem. That is because the functioning of each internal subsystem depends to a certain degree on the impact of external factors such as living conditions, body activity, season, hygiene and nutrition. The goal of this research was to verify the presence of any statistically significant differences in anthropometric body characteristics of Montenegro and Kosovo primary school students, in relation to their age. The respondents' sample was comprised of 600 primary school male students from Montenegro and Kosovo aged 13, 14 and 15 years old. The total sample of 600 respondents included 300 boys from Montenegro, and 300 boys from Kosovo. Anthropometric characteristics were assessed with a test battery of 12 anthropometric variables. Following a T-test for independent sample analysis, the acquired results show that there is a statistically significant difference in the manifesting area of anthropometric characteristics between 13, 14 and 15-year-old Montenegrin and Kosovar boys. Due to these reasons, the morphologic body structure, which is based on the mutual interactions of all anthropologic measures, could differ in various stages of development. More specifically, certain anthropometric characteristics in various time points can partake in a certain morphological body structure with various participation coefficients. However, the development of certain anthropometric characteristics is significantly determined by the individual frame of endogenous and exogenous conditioned factors, which in the same development period determine a different physiological age to various subjects. In some anthropometric characteristics, especially those significantly influenced by exogenous factors, variations in the population of the same chronological age may differ greatly. We may conclude that anthropometric characteristics vary in time depending not only on endogenic factors, but also ethnic, socio-economic, and other exogenous factors.