ASSESSMENT OF THE LINEAR GROWTH OF PRESCHOOL BOYS IN ST. PETERSBURG

Abstract

The accelerated pace of the physical development of children during the period of the “half-height leap”, which often coincides with the beginning of systematic schooling for boys, is accompanied by a decrease in the body’s resistance to physical stress. In order to determine the features of the linear growth of boys before starting school, 1829 preschoolers were examined in the preparatory groups of educational institutions in various districts of St. Petersburg. The survey included somatometry, assessment of indicators according to the standards of the “WHO Growth Reference, 2007”; determination of the direction of growth processes according to the Verweck–Vorontsov index. Statistical analysis of the research materials was carried out by the methods of variation statistics using the STATISTICA 10.0 (StatSoft, USA) program. It was found that in 67.4% of the examined, the body length corresponds to the average values of the WHO standards. The level of physical development above the average was more common (24.3%) than the options due to low growth (8.3%). In 7.6% of preschool boys, a predominance of the intensity of “stretching” in height over an increase in height in width was noted, which makes it possible to classify them as a risk group for a decrease in endurance to physical exertion. The results of the study can be used as regional guidelines for individual dosing of physical activity in physical education classes at school and in sports sections for children.