Comparative analysis of the anthropological characteristics of children from Vojvodina (Serbia) and Belarus

Abstract

Objectives. Anthropological traits of a population offer an insight into nutritional and socioeconomic conditions of the region. The aim of the study was to compare anthropometric traits and body mass index in children from Vojvodina and Belarus. The total number of subjects in Vojvodina was 5874 (2879 boys and 2968 girls) and in Belarus 4406 (2268 boys and 2138 girls). All subjects were between 7 and 14 years of age. The survey included height, weight, chest circumference, and the body mass index (BMI kg/m 2 ) in relation to the age and sex.Results. The results demonstrate that children from Vojvodina have significantly higher height, weight and chest circumference in relation to Belarus children, with an exception of the height values of 12-year-old girls. The average BMI is significantly higher in both boys and girls from Vojvodina, except for 11-year-old girls. The most noticeable differences in the means of weight, chest circumference, and BMI are recorded in 13-year-old subjects of both sexes. As for the height, the greatest variations are observed in 14-year-old boys and 10-year-old girls. Conclusions. The study points to differences in morphological characteristics, however, the study is cross-sectional and implies that the establishment of individual criteria for assessing the growth is necessary for future.