Somatic differences of children in connection with the complex of factors of family environment in the megalopolis of the beginning of third millennium

Abstract

Quantitative contribution of a vast complex of factors of family environment to somatic variability of children of Moscow megalopolis aged 3-7 years is under discussion. Material and methods. Data collected on base of Moscow kinder-gardens in 2005-2006. Total number of the sample is 419 boys and 404 girls. Separate age groups are consolidated in a single pool after the procedure of standardization of the dimensions. Somatic status was fixed according to classic anthropometry after Bunak, 1941. To get the exhaustive idea of the family environment, parents were suggested to fill a questionnaire, including age, education and professional status of parents; number of children in the family; living conditions; character of leisure time of a child out of kinder-garden, some medical parameters. The statistical analysis included factor and correlation analysis, analysis of variance, multiple regression, Scheffe-test. Results. Factor analysis of parameters of family environment revealed 3 complexes of combined factors: 1) living conditions, connected with education of parents; 2) combination of age of parents and number of children in the family; 3) education of parents and peculiarities of life-style of a child. Somatic acceleration of children of high educated parents is manifested in longitudinal skeletal dimensions, less in skinfolds and girths. Differences between social groups manifest in less values of longitudinal dimensions of children of workers compared to the children of white-collars, and some increase of transversal development of boys of mothers-workers. As to the preschool girls, the more children are in the family, the less are their skeletal dimensions (height, leg length, pelvic diameter). Such peculiarities of life-style as passive smoking, exploitation of computer vs outdoor play, being derivatives of parent’s educational level, increase somatic differences of children according to the vector of parent’s education. Conclusion. Increase of professional and educational level of parents is connected with some somatic enlarge of the descendants. This effect is the consequence not only of financial advantages of higher social status of parents, but much more the consequence of organization of rational and healthy life-style in the family — nutrition structure, day routine, sport routine — and creating by high educated parents the favorable conditions for adaptation to stresses of modern urbanized environment.

Main directions in the study of schoolchildren and youth’ growth in Russia: а review based on the articles published in «Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin» for the last 15 years

“…Such features of the child's lifestyle as passive smoking, the intensity of the use of computers as an alternative to outdoor/outdoor activities, being derivatives of the educational level of parents, enhance the somatic differences of children in the vector of education of parents. It is assumed that the increase in the professional and educational level of parents is associated with the somatic enlargement of offspring, which is a consequence not only and not so much of the financial advantages of a higher social status of parents, but also the organization by educated parents of a healthy rational lifestyle in the familyan adequate nutrition structure, daily routine, exercise regime -and the creation of a favorable background for satisfactory adaptation to the stresses of the modern urbanized environment [Fedotova, Gorbacheva, 2022].…”