INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF 15–17-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Abstract

Introduction. Differences between anthropometric indicators of physical development in children of different regions may be related to environmental factors, living conditions and health status. The use of informative assessments of the physical development of children and adolescents remains a matter of debate.Aim. To develop generalized assessment of the physical condition of children aged 15–17 years and to substantiate expediency of its use for the needs of preventive medicine.Methods. The study was conducted in accordance with the research plan of the Chair of Medical and Biological Fundamentals of Physical Culture and the interdepartmental Laboratory of Educational Hygiene and Age Physiology. The study involved 716 children aged 15-17 years who lived in Sumy. Anthropometric examination of children was performed with standard instruments according to a unified methodology. To determine the harmony and the level of physical development, sex and age regression scales were used, which allowed to take into account the relationship between anthropometric indicators. The method of integrated estimates was used to create a generalized indicator of physical condition.Results. In the group of people with harmonious physical development, adolescents aged 17 years (66.2±1.77%) predominate over similar groups of 15-year-old (60.37±1.84%) and 16-year-old (50.61±1.59%) children.More people with harmonious physical development were found among girls aged 15-16 years than among boys (p<0.05).Among adolescents with disharmonious physical development, adolescents with insufficient body weight predominate. There are age differences in the physical development of boys, among whom there is a higher percentage of people with disharmonious physical development with insufficient body weight among 16-year-old boys.Conclusion. For the quantitative characteristics of physical development, the technique of integrated assessment is used that allows defining its level on all set of anthropometric and functional indicators and can be used as an expert evaluation in therapeutic practice. The generalized indicator of physical condition characterizes the state of health of the surveyed contingent more adequately than the method of standard assessments. Key words: physical condition; adolescents; harmonious; disharmonious physical development