Somatotyping of children and adolescents

Longitudinal observations on growth and development in children and adolescents with a usual (school) and increased (sporting) motor activity regimens have been performed for 13 years and certain metrical characteristics have been obtained. After their treatment by means of the factor and correlative analyses, they are divided into basic and auxiliary. The basic characteristics have a high correlative connection with progress in certain kinds of physical activity (sporting achievements), the auxiliary ones determine the technique of carrying out the movement. Basing on theoretical generalization of the literature data and analyzing the metrical values obtained at anthropometry, an objective scheme of somatotyping is worked out. It considers an independent variation of the signs according to spatial (clearance limit, componental and proportional) and time (variants of development) scales. Nontraditional estimation on manifestation of fatty, muscular and osseous components is elaborated, algorhythm of their estimation is suggested. Three main (micro-, meso-, macrosomatic) and two additional (micromesosomatic and mesomacrosomatic) somatic types are defined. They include manifestation of fatty, muscular and osseous masses, as well as the proportion of the body-build. The mark scale estimation of individual metrical values according to the elaborated age nomograms and scales makes the base of the typing. As demonstrates the retrospective analysis of the material, in 86% of cases the somatic type does not change in the course of ontogenesis. Estimation of the somatic type during the pubertal period should be carried out with a strict consideration of the variant of the child's development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)