Research related to the assessment of physical development is conducted using various anthropometric techniques:
1. somatometric – body length (height), body mass (weight), chest circumference and excursion;
2. physiometric – vital lung capacity (VLC), hand grip strength, standing strength;
3. somatoscopic – chest shape (body type), posture and so on.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT!
Physical development of a person is understood as a complex of functional and morphological properties of the body that determine its physical ability. Physical development can be influenced by:
heredity; environmental conditions; socio-economic factors; working and living conditions; nutrition; physical activity; sports.
There is no clear boundary between normal and pathological conditions. There are various transitional stages between health and illness. Disease usually occurs when the body is subjected to excessive physical and psycho-emotional stress or when adaptive functions are decreased. This is when changes occur, often leading to illness or injury.
Norm in relation to human health is interpreted as the measure of the organism’s vitality in specific environmental conditions, within which changes in physiological processes are maintained at an optimal level of functioning of the homeostatic self-regulation.
It is important to note that the norm in relation to the human body does not have a single value. Biological norm has certain boundaries. Thus, the norm is such an indicator at which the human organism functions in the best way possible (i.e. in an optimal mode). At the same time, a healthy organism is able to maintain normal indicators of its functions in various situations (physical exertion, psycho-emotional stress, weather changes, etc.). This property of the organism is called adaptation. It is adaptation that helps a person to maintain the functioning of organs and systems in a normal state and to preserve health in various stressful situations.
It should be noted that the reduction of the adaptive capacity of the organism is associated with changes in physiological functions. This is characterized by an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in heart activity. However, in pre-disease states, the observed changes in physiological indicators, as a rule, do not exceed the so-called clinical norm and therefore usually remain outside the field of view of doctors during dispensary and preventive examinations of the population. As a result, only a disruption of adaptation with the development of specific diseases becomes the basis for therapeutic measures.
Disease is the destruction of the normal state of a living system, the transition of it to a new altered state, in which the indicators of organs and systems deviate significantly from the norm. If special therapeutic measures are not taken in this state, the disease can become prolonged and chronic, and the organism can ultimately perish.
Somatometric indicators
When assessing the somatometric indicators of an adult’s physical development, the values of various indices that evaluate the ratios of height and weight, height, weight, and chest circumference are more important. The most well-known indices include the Kettle index, the Pignae index, the BMI – body mass index, and others.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a value that allows evaluating the degree of correspondence between a person’s body weight and height, and thus make a conclusion whether the weight is insufficient, normal, or excessive. BMI = body weight (kg) / height (m2).
Table 1. Interpretation of BMI values.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that allows evaluating the degree of correspondence between a person’s body weight and height, and thus draw conclusions about whether the weight is insufficient, normal, or excessive. The BMI is calculated as body weight (kg) divided by height squared (m2).
