Cohort Study of the Physical Development of Adolescents During the Transition to Higher Education



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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The dynamics of growth indicators during the transition from school to higher education in male and female adolescents aged 17–18 years remains insufficiently studied.

AIM: To study the physical development of students during the completion of growth processes in the age range of 17–18 years.

METHODS: An analysis of physical development indicators (body length and weight) of male and female adolescents aged 17–18 years living in various regions of the Russian Federation was conducted. The study was performed using data obtained from 2021 to 2024 and included in the following databases: “Physical development of children, adolescents, and youth of the Russian Federation in 2021–2023,” “Anthropometric indicators of students aged 7–18 years living in various regions of the Russian Federation,” and “Physical development of children and adolescents aged 7–17 years depending on socio economic factors.” Results were described using the sample mean (M), standard error of the mean (m), and standard deviation (σ). Statistical significance of differences was assessed using Student’s t test (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: Seventeen regions of the Russian Federation were randomly selected; the total sample size was 29,351 individuals. In male adolescents aged 17–18 years, anthropometric indicators continued to increase: a significant increase in mean body length of 1.29 cm (p = 0.027) and a significant increase in mean body weight of 1.86 kg (p = 0.025) were found. In contrast, no significant differences in mean body length or body weight were found in female adolescents, which may indicate that the main growth processes are completed by age 17. A high proportion of regions of the Russian Federation (58.8%) showed significant differences in mean body length in male adolescents, indicating preserved variability in the timing of growth completion and reflecting the existence of “regional scenarios” of physical development.

CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate persistent heterogeneity in growth processes among male and female adolescents aged 17–18 years across different regions of the Russian Federation.

About the authors

Valery I. Popov

N.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University

Email: 9038504004@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5386-9082
SPIN-code: 8896-9019

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head, Depart. of Hygiene

Russian Federation, Voronezh

Natalia A. Skoblina

N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University

Email: skoblina_dom@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7348-9984
SPIN-code: 4269-6361

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor, Hygiene Depart. of the Z.P. Solovyov Institute of Preventive Medicine

Russian Federation, Moscow

Denis M. Fedotov

Northern State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: doctorpro@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4067-8364
SPIN-code: 1209-7657

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Dean, Faculty of Medical and Preventive Care and Medical Biochemistry

Russian Federation, Arkhangelsk

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