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The proportion of obese and overweight children is alarmingly high. This dictates the need for promoting healthy lifestyle and eating habits in children. Summer camps provide a wide range of activities to improve children’s health. However, methods used to assess children’s nutritional status during a camp session need to be analyzed in depth, and a rationale should be provided for the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measurements as efficacy criteria for summer camp healthcare. We examined 125 boys and 221 girls aged 8–15 years spending their summer holidays at 3 different camps. Measurements were taken twice: on days 1 and 2 upon arrival to a camp and 2 days before leaving for home. In each camp, both positive and negative health weight dynamics were observed. The overall weight dynamics in children from camps 1 and 2 were statistically insignificant (p = 0.415 and p = 0.585), in contrast to camp 3 where those changes were significant (p = 0.025). BIA revealed that less than 44.34% of children had gained skeletal muscle mass during their stay at the camp, whereas weight loss was associated with both decreased fat and skeletal muscle masses. BIA confirms the results of anthropometric measurements and also provides information about the diet offered to children and their level of physical activity. Therefore, the use of anthropometric measurements and BIA could be an informative method for assessing the efficacy of healthcare in summer camps.

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Aim - to analyze the essential oil isolated from the tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) flowers harvested from the spontaneous flora of Samara region. Materials and methods. The analysis was made on head flowers of Tanacetum vulgare harvested from the spontaneous flora of Samara region during the flowering stage (July), in 2016. The isolation of the essential oil was made in accordance with the Pharmacopeia of the Russian Federation XIIIth Edition. The essential oil was analyzed using a gas chromatograph coupled with mass-spectrometer apparatus. GCMS analysis was performed using an Agilent Technologies 7820F gas-chromatograph, series MSD, Agilent 5975. Results. It was determined that the major compounds of essential oil are represented by 2 isomers of thujone, eucalyptole (1,8-cineole) and yomogi-alcohol. According to the results of headspace analysis, the main identified components were artemisia alcohol, sabinene, eucalyptole (1,8-cineole). Conclusion. The knowledge of phytochemical characteristics of Tanacetum vulgare L. is important for the correct identification of the plant material for medical purposes.

Aim. To define characteristics of growth and development of children and adolescents of school age in the city of Samara.Methods. Measurements of anthropometric parameters of 2617 children aged 7-17 years, of which 1397 children studied in general educational institutions of Samara, 1220 schoolchildren - in the regional centers of the Samara region, were performed. The obtained values of anthropometric parameters of physical development of schoolchildren in Samara were compared with the study results of the appropriate age and sex groups of children and adolescents living in the Samara region.Results. Children of the regional capital and district centers come to school with virtually the same anthropometric parameters. Due to the inhomogeneous influence of conditions and nature of education, nutrition, motor activity indicators of physical development in the educative process acquire significant differences. The height of the city of Samara boys aged 7-15 years is lower than height of peers living in the Samara region (p ˂0.01). Body weight in girls to 9 years, and in boys since 7 years of age is less than in their peers who live in the district centers of the Samara region (p ˂0.05). The chest circumference of the Samara schoolchildren is significantly less than that of their peers of the Samara region in the age groups of 7-14 years in boys and 8-14 years in girls. Waist circumference of Samara boys in the age groups of 7-11 and 13 years and in girls aged 10-14 years is significantly less than that of the Samara region children. Hip circumference of the Samara schoolchildren in junior (7-10 years) and middle (11-14 years) school grades is less than in children of Samara region (p ˂0.05).Conclusion. Revealed differences in anthropometric parameters of children of the city of Samara and Samara region demonstrate the need to develop regional standards to evaluate the physical development of children and adolescents of big cities and rural areas.