Key words: Somatotype; obesity; metabolic syndrome; metabolically healthy obese; metabolically obese normal-weight

Background and Objectives: Delayed childbearing in advanced age might be associated with a low prognosis for achieving pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to establish a predictive tool that will optimize the likelihood of a live birth at advanced age. Material and Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Ferona Fertility Clinic in Novi Sad (Republic of Serbia), between January 2020 and May 2021. The survey included 491 women aged ≥35 who met the inclusion criteria and who were subjected to an IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment cycle. Results: The average number of retrieved oocytes, MII (metaphase II) oocytes, and developed embryos significantly decreased in advanced age. Age was also found to have a significant adverse effect on pregnancy and live birth rates. In women aged ≥35, 10/12 MII oocytes or 10/11 embryos are required for reaching an optimal live birth rate/cumulative live birth rate. Optimal CLBR (cumulative live birth rate) per one oocyte was achieved when 9 MII oocyte were retrieved. Conclusions: The study indicates that the cut-off for increased risk is ≥42 year. However, despite low live birth rates, autologous IVF for these women is not futile. An increase in the number of retrieved mature oocytes and a generation of surplus cryopreserved embryos could reinforce LBR (live birth rate) and CLBR. Clinicians should be very cautious in counseling, as autologous IVF may only be applicable to women with good ovarian reserve.

Summary. Background: Height and weight are the most important measures of growth and development and indirect indicators of living conditions. The socio-economic conditions in Serbia have varied drastically. In 1990, a political and economic crisis started causing a rapid fall of standards of living. Aim: The study aimed to determine the height and weight of children aged 3–11 in the periods between 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 in Novi Sad, Serbia. Subjects and methods: This investigation was carried out in the same primary schools and pre-school institutions. The data included children of Serbian nationality born in Novi Sad whose parents were also born there and had the same socio-economic background. Results: Positive changes in height and weight were recorded in the decades 1971–1981 and 1981–1991, except for the height of 8-year-old children. In the period 1991–2001, an increase in height was observed only at the age of 8 in boys and until the age of 9 in girls. As for weight, an increase was recorded in 9-year-old boys, while in girls it was present at all ages except for the ages of 7 and 10. Considering the period 1971–2001, positive changes in height were recorded from the age of 6 in boys and 5 in girls. The changes in weight were positive at all ages except the age of 5 in boys and after the age of 6 in girls. Conclusion: Lower values of height and weight recorded in 2001 are probably due to the changes in living conditions or they indicate that the acceleration reached its peak.

Background and Objectives: Age at menarche is related to various biological and socioeconomic factors in childhood. The aim of the study was to examine the association of age at menarche with general and abdominal obesity in young women. Materials and Methods: A transversal anthropometric survey was conducted with 102 females from 21 to 25 years of age. The surveyed traits included height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC). General obesity was assessed using the body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity by WC, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). A retrospective method was used for collecting age at menarche data. Results: The average age at menarche is 12.80 years. Early menarcheal age (14 years) is recorded for 20.6% of subjects. Early menarche age subjects exhibit significantly higher BMI, WC and WHtR in comparison with their late menarche age peers. There is a significant negative correlation between BMI, WC and WHtR values and menarcheal age. Late age at menarche is associated with higher probability of underweight status (BMI < 18.5 and/or WHtR < 0.4). Conclusions: Age at menarche has a negative correlation with general and abdominal obesity. Young women with early age at menarche show statistically higher values of BMI, WC and WHtR, while those with late menarcheal age show greater susceptibility to becoming underweight.

Vital lung capacity is an indicator of body constitution type and functional ability of individuals. Since the vital capacity is affected by a number of factors, the limiting values of the volume and capacity are rather broad. The objective of the study was to determine the changes in vital capacity in relation to the age and its correlation with the educational status and anthropological traits. Material and method: A cross-section anthropological study of adult population of Backa and Banat region was carried out in the period of 2001–2006. In total, 4504 individuals took part in the study, including 1965 males and 2539 females. The mean age of male and female subjects was 40.10±11.84 and 41.12±10.75 years, respectively. The correlation of vital capacity with the age, educational level and morphological traits of the subjects was obtained by regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) at the level of significance p0.05. Results: The average vital capacity in males is 3269±733.65ml and in females 2000±528.64ml. From the age of 20 to 39, the vital capacity of both sexes remains at the same level, while later it decreases considerably. The vital capacity correlates with longitudinal dimensions, particularly with the height, while the correlation with the weight is considerably lower. A negative correlation is obtained in relation to all circumference dimensions of females and the waist circumference of males. Conclusion: The vital capacity is affected by the sex, age, height and level of education. Education reflects the socioeconomic status, which in turn affects the life quality. Good living conditions can provide development of higher values of morphophysiological traits. These traits tend to change with aging.