Trends in body size in young men and women in the early 21st century were analyzed based on the results of anthropometric examination of more than 6300 und

Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin

Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin

Materials and methods. The materials of complex anthropological surveys of the Department of Anthropology of Moscow State University 2020–2021 were used. The anthropometric characteristics, components of the physique, physiological indicators, psychological characteristics and data of a sociological survey of 245 respondents (176 girls and 69 boys) – students of different universities in Moscow aged 18 to 23 years were studied. To assess adaptive capabilities, an integrative indicator is calculated – the level of physical condition of the body (PCL). Results. Reliable correlations with PCL were obtained mainly in the group of girls: statistically significant relationships were revealed for a cluster of morphological features, blocks of body composition, functional indicators and physical activity, for the values of phase angle, specific metabolism and the indicator of orientation to appearance. In the group of boys, there were significantly fewer reliable correlations: as in girls, a block of functional indicators and specific metabolism, as well as the level of total thyroxine in the blood and satisfaction with body parameters were significantly associated with PCL. The structure of relationships between groups of traits is as follows: socio-cultural characteristics are associated with levels of anxiety, aggressiveness and depression; the component composition of the body – with physique and functional indicators, which also correlate with social characteristics (education of parents, number of children in the family, level of family income). Conclusion. The closeness of the connections between the PCL and the blocks of the body's component composition and functional indicators is due to the commonality of their biological nature and the unity of subsystems in the structure of the general human constitution. A small but statistically reliable association with the PCL of the level of physical activity confirms the positive effect of daily physical activity on the adaptive capabilities of the body. The reliable connection with the PCL of individual socio-cultural features reflects the degree of importance of the perception of the features of one's own physique in the life of modern boys and girls and indicates the influence of self-esteem of appearance not only on the psychological state and quality of life, but also on the physical condition of the body and adaptive capabilities. The results obtained are consistent with the concept of intersystem integration of the organism and confirm the influence of socio-economic and socio-cultural factors on the processes of morphophysiological and psychosocial adaptation of modern youth to the conditions of the superurbanized environment of the XXI century.

Introduction. The aim of the study. The investigation of the time-related dynamics of adiposity parameters in a socially and economically homogenous group of young people. To determine the pattern of change in their health parameters and assess the prevalence of different diseases associated with increased body weight. Materials and methods. This study used the research titled "Massive anthropometric monitoring of physical development parameters of children, teenagers, and students" conducted from 2000 to 2018. The body mass index (BMI) of more than 6,400 students aged 17-18 years (2,971 young males and 3,418 young females) was examined. Then, we calculated the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among them. To determine the degrees of obesity, we compared the BMI values in our study with the World Health Organization's BMI ranges for corresponding age. Results. Over the study period, the mean BMI values and 5th and 15th BMI percentiles were characterized by weak positive time-related trends. Furthermore, 85th and 95th percentiles demonstrated a higher rate of increased data values (female students). From 2000 to 2018, the prevalence of overweight among female students increased from 5.2% to 10.5%, and that of obesity rose from 1.7% to 4.6%. For male students, no significant increase occurred in the overweight prevalence. Conclusions. To prevent chronic diseases associated with increased fat mass, attention should be paid to the mean values of different overweight parameters and the prevalence of extreme meanings in extensive population observations. Increased BMI among young females aged 17-18 years implies their possible elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases and other associated disorders later in life, related to nutrition disorders and lifestyle.