Long-term dynamics of the physical development of children in Russia

Abstract

AIM: This study aimed to conduct comprehensive scientific research to monitor the physical development of children in Russia aged 55 years from 1965 to 2021 and characterize the current state of acceleration activities.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2021 as part of the all-Russian population monitoring of the physical development of schoolchildren aged 717 years. A total of 30,965 boys and 33,290 girls were examined. The standard anthropometric technique, tools, and statistical processing were used. The subjects of the Russian Federation for which there were archival published data were selected to analyze the long-term dynamics of the physical development of child population. The monitoring parameters included data about the climatic-geographical and socio-economic characteristics of the regions. The conducted study did not endanger the participants, and it complied with the requirements of biomedical ethics and the statements of the Declaration of Helsinki. Statistica 13 PL (StatSoft, USA) was used for data processing.
 RESULTS: In the prognostic model for the formation of indicators of physical development of children, the leading factor (p 0.05) is agegender characteristics (-coefficient=4.065.04), and the second significant factor is the index of social development of the region (-coefficient=0.370.47). Living in regions with insufficient insolation (-coefficient=0.44) and living in rural areas (-coefficient=0.44) are also considered as significant factors for boys.
 DISCUSSION: Regional scenarios are observed in the physical development of children; therefore, the regional standards for the physical development of children must be updated every 1020 years.
 CONCLUSIONS: In the second decade of the XXI century, no manifestations of deceleration with gracilization are recorded at the end of the XX century in the physical development of the child population of Russia. The activity of acceleration with disharmonious manifestations has been addressed. Data about the physical development of children in Russia, which were analyzed in the dynamics of 55 years of observation, indicate that regional scenarios are associated with the influence of climatic, geographic, and socio-economic factors.