Background/aim: The aim was to assess the differences between physical activity and physical fitness in obese, overweight, and normalweight children. Materials and methods:The cross-sectional study was accomplished using cluster sampling method at 3 Lithuanian schools. An analysis of anthropometric data for 532 Lithuanian children was performed. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, and skinfold thickness were measured. Body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage were calculated. The Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire and a 6-min walk test (6MWT) were administered to evaluate physical activity and physical fitness. Maximal oxygen consumption was calculated to assess the children's aerobic capacity. Correlations among anthropometric data, 6MWT-walked distance, and moderate-vigorous physical activity duration were analyzed. Results:The study showed that 20.1% of the studied children were obese or overweight. They engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 22.4 min less per day and walked 50.9 m less on average during a 6-min test than normal-weight children. Physical fitness parameters correlated with daily moderate-vigorous physical activity duration and with most of the children's anthropometric parameters. Conclusion:Obese and overweight children were less physically active and had lower physical fitness than normal-weight children. The findings underline the need for interventions to increase physical activity and improve fitness in obese and overweight children.

During the last two decades, the number of macrocell mobile telephony base station antennas emitting radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in residential areas has increased significantly, and therefore much more attention is being paid to RF EMR and its effects on human health. Scientific field measurements of public exposure to RF EMR (specifically to radio frequency radiation) from macrocell mobile telephony base station antennas and RF electromagnetic field (EMF) intensity parameters in the environment are discussed in this article. The research methodology is applied according to the requirements of safety norms and Lithuanian Standards in English (LST EN). The article presents and analyses RF EMFs generated by mobile telephony base station antennas in areas accessible to the general public. Measurements of the RF electric field strength and RF EMF power density were conducted in the near- and far-fields of the mobile telephony base station antenna. Broadband and frequency-selective measurements were performed outside (on the roof and on the ground) and in a residential area. The tests performed on the roof in front of the mobile telephony base station antennas in the near-field revealed the presence of a dynamic energy interaction within the antenna electric field, which changes rapidly with distance. The RF EMF power density values on the ground at distances of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 m from the base station are very low and are scattered within intervals of 0.002 to 0.05 μW/cm2. The results were compared with international exposure guidelines (ICNIRP).

A higher prevalence of overweight and obesity and a lower amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was found in children living in the town compared to children living in the city.

Background/Aim. A low level of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle affects the body posture in adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the core relation between the level of physical activity and spinal posture as well as physical fitness parameters in 11-14 years old teenagers. Methods. The cross-sectional study included 532 children, aged from 11 to 14 years. The study was carried out at three Lithuanian schools in 2011-2013. The Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire (YPAQ) was used to assess physical activity. Spinal posture was assessed according to the Hoeger visual posture assessment method. Physical capacity was evaluated using a 6-min walking test (6 MWT) and by calculating maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). Other physical fitness such as the general balance, flexibility, explosive leg power and abdominal muscle endurance were evaluated by applying the European Fitness Test (Eurofit). According to time spent doing moderate to vigorous intensity physical activities (MVPA), the sample was divided into 2 groups -a low activity level group and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity level group. We compared the spinal posture evaluation results and Vol. 76, No 12 Sidlauskiene A, et al. Vojnosanit Pregl 2019; 76(12): 1209-1216. stuba od ispitanika II grupe. Za vreme šestominutnog testa hodanja, adolescenti I grupe hodali su prosečno 63,2 m manje (p = 0,002) i njihov VO2max bio je za 0,8 mL/kg/min niži od VO2max adolescenata II grupe (p = 0,006). Adolescenti I grupe bili su slabiji u eksplozivnoj snazi nogu i testu izdržljivosti trbušnih mišića u poređenju sa adolescentima II grupe. Nađena je slaba korelacija između trajanja fizičke aktivnosti umerenog do jakog intenziteta i stava kičmenog stuba, kao i nekih para-metara fizičke sposobnosti. Zaključak. Adolescenti sa slabom fizičkom aktivnošću bili su manje fizički sposobni i imali lošiji stav kičmenog stuba nego adolescenti sa fizičkom aktivnošću umerenog do jakog intenziteta.

The prevalence of scoliosis in the paediatric population is increasing every year. The treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in Lithuania is based on traditional physical therapy, and it is not always the most effective. Schroth method recently is widely globally used evidence-based conservative scoliosis treatment method. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of the Schroth method treatment for trunk muscles’ static endurance and spine mobility in girls with idiopathic scoliosis. The study was conducted in 2016-2017 at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre, Children’s Hospital, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. In the study participated 50 girls aged 9-17 years with idiopathic scoliosis. The patients were divided into two groups: the study group (n = 25) and the control group (n = 25). Schroth treatment method for the study group and a traditional physiotherapy for the control group were used. For patients were applied 10 procedures of physiotherapy (for 30 minutes, 5 times a week). The study showed that trunk muscles’ static endurance results after rehabilitation were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (p<0.05). The analysis of the average changes in the results between the groups revealed that in the study group the results of abdominal muscles (16.08 s more), left side trunk muscles (6.98 s more), and right side trunk muscles (7.84 s more) had changed significantly. Results of spine mobility significantly improved in both groups after rehabilitation (p<0.05). Trunk flexion amplitude estimated to have significantly greater improvement in the study group. The treatment using Schroth method had significantly improved the indicators of trunk muscles’ static endurance and mobility of the spine during spinal flexion. When compare the results inside the groups, the significant change was shown in the majority of spine and posture-related parameters in the study group. Special physiotherapy, especially Schroth method for children with idiopathic scoliosis have been shown to be an effective conservative treatment for scoliosis.