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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Anthropometric and cardiopulmonary parameters in Bulgarian and Romany children: cross-sectional study
Stoilka Mandadzhieva1, Blagoi Marinov, Stefan Kostianev
1Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 15A Vassil Aprilov Blvd., 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria. stoilka@mail.orbitel.bg
Insights
Bulgarian children are taller and heavier with better lung function than Romany children, despite similar peak oxygen uptake. Bulgarian children also reported higher perceived exertion during exercise tests.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Anthropometry
- Cardiopulmonary Function
Background:
- Ethnic variations in child development are influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.
- Understanding anthropometric and cardiopulmonary differences is crucial for assessing child health and development across diverse populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare anthropometric measurements and cardiopulmonary function between healthy Bulgarian and Romany children.
- To identify potential ethnic-specific differences in physical development and exercise capacity.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 210 healthy children (153 Bulgarian, 57 Romany) aged 10.5 years.
- Assessment included anthropometric measurements, pulmonary function tests (vital capacity, FEV1, TLCO), and a modified Balke treadmill exercise test.
- Cardiopulmonary responses, including peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and perceived exertion (Borg score), were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Bulgarian children exhibited significantly greater stature, weight, and body fat percentage compared to Romany children.
- Romany children showed lower absolute values for vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and transfer factor for carbon monoxide.
- Peak oxygen uptake and respiratory exchange ratio during exercise did not differ significantly, but Bulgarian children reported a higher perceived exertion.
Conclusions:
- Significant anthropometric disparities exist between Bulgarian and Romany children, with Bulgarian children being larger.
- Lung function indices, such as vital capacity and FEV1, are lower in Romany children compared to their Bulgarian peers.
- Despite similar objective exercise capacity, subjective perception of exertion differs between the two ethnic groups, highlighting nuanced physiological and psychological responses.
Aim:
To examine anthropometric parameters and cardiopulmonary function in Bulgarian and Romany children.
Methods:
Two hundred and ten healthy children (153 Bulgarian and 57 Romany) of similar age (10.5-/+0.5 years, mean-/+standard deviation) underwent an anthropometric and pulmonary function assessment and performed an exercise test on a treadmill, using the modified Balke protocol.
Results:
Bulgarian children were significantly taller (145-/+7 vs 142-/+7 cm) and heavier (39-/+9 vs 35-/+8 kg) than Romany children. They also had more body fat (20.5-/+8.1% vs 17.8-/+7.6% in Romanies). In a subset of the whole sample, it was established that Bulgarian children had significantly higher birth weight in comparison with Romanies (3,358-/+513 vs 3,095-/+435 g; P=0.006). Mean absolute values of vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and transfer factor (T(L,CO)) were lower for Romany than for Bulgarian children, 7.8%, 7.3%, and 10.2%, respectively. The data from the incremental treadmill test showed that peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)peak) did not differ significantly between the two ethnic groups (1,341-/+293 vs 1,260-/+280 mL/min). The level of physical exertion was almost the same in the studied groups (respiratory exchange ratio (RER)=1.08-/+0.08 vs 1.08-/+0.06), but the perception of exertion was higher in Bulgarian children (Borg score=4.9-/+1.5 vs 3.2-/+1.5; P<0.001).
Conclusions:
There are significant differences between Bulgarian and Romany children with regard to anthropometric parameters, including stature, lung function indices, and perception of exertion.
