Changes in human growth and development depend on genetic and environmental factors. In the case of Slovenia, the environmental factors changed as a result of the period of socio-economic transition ...that the country underwent between 1991 and 2013. The authors used anthropometric techniques to evaluate differences in body height, proportions and sexual maturity in 1,221 adolescents aged 14 in 1993, 2003 and 2013.
Data was collected as a part of the ACDSi study, which has monitored children's somatic growth and motor development every decade over the last 40 years.
Between 1993 and 2013, a trend (p=0.08) towards increased body height was observed in males. The comparison of age at peak height velocity (PHV) between generations demonstrated a trend (p=0.07) of earlier entry into puberty in adolescents in 2013 compared to those in 1993. The leg-to-body height ratio increased (p<0.05) with every decade in males, while in females it decreased (p<0.05) in 2013. Similar trends were observed in the leg-to-trunk ratio. Contemporary generations experienced PHV at a younger age (p<0.05), which is true for both genders even in adolescents born no more than two decades (1993 (2013) apart. In both generations, females experienced PHV sooner than their male peers.
The authors assume that females of the 2013 generation reached puberty earlier than females of older generations. It is most likely that, unlike females from older generations and unlike males, they were already at the stage of trunk growth at the time of the measurements, which explains the observed changes in their trunk length, leg-to-body height and leg-to-trunk ratios in comparison to earlier generations.
Sound and timely microbial gut colonization completes newborn's healthy metabolic programming and manifests in infant appropriate growth and weight development. Feces, collected at 3, 30, and 90 days ...after birth from 60 breastfed Slovenian newborns, was submitted to microbial DNA extraction and qPCR quantification of selected gut associated taxa. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to evaluate microbial dynamics with respect to infant demographic, environmental, clinical characteristics and first year growth data. Early microbial variability was marked by the proportion of Bacilli, but diminished and converged in later samples, as bifidobacteria started to prevail. The first month proportions of enterococci were associated with maternity hospital locality and supplementation of breastfeeding with formulae, while Enterococcus faecalis proportion reflected the mode of delivery. Group Bacteroides-Prevotella proportion was associated with infant weight and ponderal index at first month. Infant mixed feeding pattern and health issues within the first month revealed the most profound and extended microbial perturbations. Our findings raise concerns over the ability of the early feeding supplementation to emulate and support the gut microbiota in a way similar to the exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, practicing supplementation beyond the first month also manifested in higher first year weight and weight gain Z-score.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among young adults has increased dramatically in recent decades. The survey examined anthropometric indicators of fat tissue amount in the population of adult ...males and females from Slovenia from 1950 to 2019.
From a large anthropometric database body height, body mass, seven circumferences (C: waist, hip, relaxed and flexed upper arm, forearm, middle thigh, medial calf) and seven skinfold thicknesses (SFT: triceps, biceps, subscapular, iliac crest, supraspinale, front thigh and medial calf) were obtained in different combinations for more than 3400 males and almost 4600 females of age 18 to 29 years, measured in the years between 1950 and 2019. To evaluate the secular trend, data were classified into 10-year periods and compared with ANOVA.
Body mass, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, waist C, relaxed and flexed upper arm C, calf C, Triceps/subscapular ratio, biceps SFT, supraspinale SFT, front thigh SFT, and medial calf SFT increased (
< 0.001) over the last 70 years, however, thigh C decreased (
< 0.001) over the last 30 years. Body mass index and forearm C increased in males and decreased in females. Triceps and subscapular SFT`s increased till 2009 and then decreased in next decade in both sexes. Body fat % increased over the 70-years observed period from 12% to almost 15% in males and from 24% to more than 26% in females.
From 1950 to 2009 or even to 2019, large amount of body fat clearly became more prevalent in young adults from Slovenia, which mostly is in line with secular trend in fat tissue in other parts of the world; however, in many measurements this trend slows down or even reverses after 2009 in Slovenia. Slovenian population appears to be leaner compared to other populations.
Anthropometry is a scientific discipline dealing with systematic measurements of the human body. As it has a long tradition in Slovenia, extensive anthropometric data has been collected over the ...years. The present manuscript presents the establishment of a machine-readable anonymised anthropometric database that includes anthropometric data from the Slovenian population since 1940. Currently, double-checking of the data is in progress; a preliminary insight into the available dataset is presented.
Body position affects body water distribution and in turn the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which may consequently distort conclusions about an individual's body composition.We ...compared body fat percentage (BFP) obtained with leg-to-leg-BIA (LL) and hand-to-leg-BIA (HL) with the reference values.The BFPs of 97 individuals were determined with an LL- (Tanita TBF 215GS, Japan) and HL- (Akern, STA/BIA, Italy) BIA-analyser and with reference skinfold thickness (SF) measurements. Each subject was measured upright with the LL-analyser, and upright and supine with the HL-analyser, both before and after 20 min of supine rest. The one-way ANOVA for repeated measures (HL-BIA), Student's t-test (LL-BIA), intraclass correlation coefficients, and Bland-Altman's plots were used for statistical analysis.BFPs determined with HL/LL BIA in upright/supine positions differ significantly. Compared to the SF method, HL-BIA mostly overestimates, while LL-BIA mostly underestimates BFP. Agreement between anthropometrically determined BFP and HL/LL-BIA determined BFP is better with HL for both sexes, and generally better in females than males.HL-BIA-determined estimates of BFP are more similar to reference values than LL-BIA. However, for both BIA methods, BIA-determined estimates of BFP are significantly affected by body position. Consequently, different BIA methods will classify approximately one fifth of subjects into the erroneous body-fat-content category, which calls for urgent standardization.
Abstract Background Preterm (PT) birth and low birth mass (LBW) can impair growth and development of children and may therefore affect their physical performance up to adulthood. Aims Our aim was to ...evaluate long-term consequences of prematurity, especially (an)aerobic exercise capacity and agility up to adulthood, by comparing premature and full-term (FT) individuals. Study design, subjects From 474 subjects born in 1987, who were enrolled into a longitudinal study, 396 (178 PT and 218 FT (with 127 of them LBW)) were followed-up into their early adulthood. Their mass, respiratory status at birth, and results of SLOfit monitoring system (i.e. results of exercise capacity and agility) were monitored on a yearly basis from their age of 8 to 18 years. Data were compared statistically with Student t-test or ANOVA. Outcome measures, results PT (or LBW) individuals performed aerobic (time of 600-meter run of females) and the majority of anaerobic tests (sit-ups, standing broad jump, and time of 60-meter run, but not bent arm hang) worse (p < 0.05) than FT individuals. Before puberty, however, the agility and fine motor tests (arm plate tapping, polygon backwards, and standing reach touch) were performed better (p < 0.05) by PT (or LBW) females, as compared to their FT peers, with no similar results in males. Conclusions Our results clearly demonstrate that prematurity (especially extreme prematurity) diminishes exercise capacity and agility on the long-term scale, therefore, PT children should be encouraged towards more regular participation in physical activities from early childhood onwards.
Objective: Exercise is a recognised means for improving quality of life. In general, students perform less sports activity than previous generations. In contrast, however, children’s participation in ...competitive sports has increased. The present study therefore aimed to assess how many students participate in sports clubs, how active in sports student (non)members are, and what actual effect sports clubs have on enabling sufficient sports activity.
Students (N=213) in the first year of university studies (19-20 years) were recruited for a study approved by the Slovenian Ethics Committee. They answered a questionnaire on their sports club membership and on their sports activity during organised sports training and/or in their free time. Results were statistically analysed and compared to our previous results obtained from primary and secondary school children (1).
Only 16% of students participate in sports clubs, which is less (p<0.001) than in primary and secondary school children. The average (SD) sports activity of student sports-club members is 11.7 (6.8) h/week, with students non-members being significantly (p<0.001) less active with 4.6 (3.0) h/week. Participation in sports clubs is lower (p<0.001) in female (15%) than in male (21%) students, which is similar to children.
The results of the study demonstrate that sports clubs in Slovenia are important for promoting sufficient sports activity. Namely, most of the student members participate in sports activity more than the recommended 1 h/day and are more than two times more active than their peers. Females, however, participate less often in sports clubs, which calls for further attention.
Uvod: Športna vadba je danes priznano sredstvo za izboljšanje kakovosti življenja. V splošnem velja, da so študentje manj športno aktivni kot prejšnje generacije. V nasprotju s tem pa se mlajši mladostniki pogosteje vključujejo v tekmovalni šport. Cilj te raziskave je bil zato oceniti, koliko študentov je vključenih v športne klube, kako športno dejavni so študentje ne(člani) in kakšen dejanski učinek imajo športni klubi pri doseganju zadostne športne aktivnosti.
V raziskavo, ki jo je odobrila Komisija Republike Slovenije za medicinsko etiko, so bili vključeni študentje (N=213) prvega letnika univerzitetnih študijev (19-20 let). Izpolnili so vprašalnik o svojem članstvu v športnih klubih ter o svoji športni aktivnosti med organiziranimi športnimi treningi in/ali v svojem prostem času. Rezultate smo statistično analizirali in jih primerjali z rezultati predhodne raziskave, izvedene med osnovnošolci in srednješolci (1).
Le 16% študentov je bilo včlanjenih v športne klube, kar je manj (p<0,001) kot med osnovnošolci in srednješolci. Povprečna (SD) športna aktivnost študentov članov športnih klubov je bila 11,7 (6,8) h/teden; študentje nečlani so bili s 4,6 (3,0) h/teden značilno (p<0,001) manj aktivni. Študentke (15%) so v športne klube vključene redkeje (p<0,001) kot študenti (21%), kar je podobno kot pri mlajših mladostnikih.
Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da so športni klubi v Sloveniji pomembni pri spodbujanju zadostne športne aktivnosti, saj je večina študentov članov športno aktivna več kot priporočeno 1 h/dan in je tako več kot dvakrat aktivnejša od vrstnikov nečlanov. Dekleta so v nasprotju s fanti v športne klube včlanjena redkeje, kar si zasluži nadaljnjo analitično obravnavo.
Uvod: Športna vadba je danes priznano sredstvo za izboljšanje kakovosti življenja. V splošnem velja, da so študentje manj športno aktivni kot prejšnje generacije. V nasprotju s tem pa se mlajši ...mladostniki pogosteje vključujejo v tekmovalni šport. Cilj te raziskave je bil zato oceniti, koliko študentov je vključenih v športne klube, kako športno dejavni so študentje ne(člani) in kakšen dejanski učinek imajo športni klubi pri doseganju zadostne športne aktivnosti.
Background/Aims: Determining body composition in pregnant women is challenging as not all of the existing applicable methodologies can be used during pregnancy and not all of the methods have been ...properly standardized. The aim of this study was to compare the existing anthropometric methods for the evaluation of body composition, especially in pregnant women. Methods: One hundred forty-seven pregnant volunteers aged average (SD) 31 years (±4) in gestational week 32 (±3) provided information on their age and prepregnancy body mass. Their height, current mass, skinfold thicknesses, and limb circumferences were measured. The body density and fat percentage were calculated according to 17 different anthropometric equations obtained from the literature. Data were analyzed with ANOVA. Results: For the same sample of pregnant women, the body fat percentages obtained using the existing anthropometric methods varied greatly (p < 0.0001) and ranged from 16% (±5) to 38% (±4); methods developed specifically for pregnant women yielded disturbingly large differences, with body fat values ranging from 16% (±5) to 36% (±6). Conclusions: This study revealed large discrepancies among anthropometric methods for body composition assessment in pregnant women. As the results from the same sample obtained with different existing equations are wide ranging, the existing methodologies should be examined and improved before they can serve as sources of information regarding the health status of pregnant women.
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