[Comparison of the physical development of 17-18-years old girls in 1996 and 2007]

The screening studies conducted in 2007 indicated that there was a reduction in the physical development of 17-18-year-old girls (n = 530) in the Kirov Region in the past decade (1996-2007). With their higher height, the 2007 girls showed decreases in body weight, chest circumference, vital capacity, diastolic blood pressure, but higher heart rate, as compared with the 1996 population. There were also reductions in weight-to-height ratio, Quetelet index, Rohrer index, and vital index and increases in the Pignet index, effective circulation index, and Quass endurance factor. The use of centile tables showed that 30 and 11% in the 2007 population had disharmonious and very disharmonious development, respectively; and microsomatic body build was seen in 81%. Therefore, the asthenization or deceleration of physical development in 17-18-year-old girls, which was ascertained in the late 20th century, also continues in the early 21st century.