A retrospective analysis of 100-year trends in the physical development of Moscow schoolgirls

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Open Access Open Access
Restricted Access Access granted
Restricted Access Subscription Access

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Healthy biological maturation in young girls is crucial for their future reproductive health. The continuous monitoring of their physical development is critical for early identification of any health problems.

AIM: This study aimed to identify the 100-year trend of girls’ growth and development in the city of Moscow.

METHODS: The study focused on the physical characteristics of Moscow schoolgirls over a period of 100 years (1920–2020), including their body height and weight, chest circumference, right-hand grip strength, and time of menarche. In this study, a total of 4581 girls aged 8–17 years were observed from 2003 to 2020. The obtained data were compared with those documented in “Materials on the Physical Development of Children and Adolescents in Urban and Rural Areas of the USSR (Russia),” covering the period from 1920 to 2013. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov normality test was used to determine the normality of distribution. The differences were considered significant at t ≥ 2.0 (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: Comparative analysis of the physical development of Moscow schoolgirls across decades showed an increase of 3–5 cm in the body height and a significant increase in the chest circumference among all age groups of girls at the beginning of the 21st century compared with their peers in the 1960s and 1980s, indicating the completed processes of gracilization that had been observed since the 1980s. The mean body height of 8-year-old schoolgirls in 2003 was 129.12 ± 0.47 cm compared to 125.66 ± 0.32 cm in those in the 1960s (p < 0.001). Additionally, the mean chest circumference was 62.34 ± 0.44 cm in 2003 and 60.50 ± 0.22 cm in the 1960s (p < 0.008). Moreover, a decrease in the right-hand grip strength has been noted in all age groups (9-year-old girls: 13.2 ± 0.2 kg in the 1960s and 6.9 ± 0.1 kg in 2003; p < 0.001). Earlier menarche has been documented in modern Moscow schoolgirls, with an average age of 12 years and 9 months. This phenomenon is accompanied by a shift in the chronology of growth patterns toward earlier stages. The age of first menstruation (menarche) varies with family income.

CONCLUSION: Over a century-long period, Moscow schoolgirls have shown increased total body size and earlier biological maturation.

About the authors

Olga Y. Milushkina

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University

Email: milushkina_o@rsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6534-7951
SPIN-code: 3802-3058

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Assistant Professor, Depart. of food hygiene with the course of hygiene of children and adolescents

Russian Federation, Moscow

Natalia A. Skoblina

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University

Email: skoblina_dom@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7348-9984
SPIN-code: 4269-6361

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor, Depart. of Hygiene, Institute of Preventive Medicine named after Z.P. Solovyov

Russian Federation, Moscow

Olga V. Sazonova

Samara State Medical University

Email: o.v.sazonova@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4130-492X
SPIN-code: 1789-6104

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor, Depart. of food hygiene with the course of hygiene of children and adolescents

Russian Federation, Samara

Mikhail Y. Gavryushin

Samara State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: m.yu.gavryushin@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0897-7700
SPIN-code: 6636-4448

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Assistant Professor, Depart. of food hygiene with the course of hygiene of children and adolescents

Russian Federation, Samara

Elena V. Skoblina

Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology

Email: skoblinadom@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6442-7922
SPIN-code: 8970-0828

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Junior research assistant, Institute of Demographic Research

Russian Federation, Moscow

References

  1. Prusakov VM, Prusakova AV. The dynamics of the risk of the morbidity and the adaptation process as indices of the impact of local environmental factors on the population. Hygiene and Sanitation. 2018;97(2):124–131. doi: 10.18821/0016-9900-2018-97-2-124-131 EDN: LBSBHV
  2. Popov VI. Hygienic characteristics of approaches, characterizing the age features and health indicators of children, adolescents and youth. Health care of the Russian Federation. 2020;63(4):199–204. doi: 10.18821/0044-197X-2019-63-4-199-204 EDN: CBQIZO
  3. Yatsyshen VV, Yatsyshena TL. Parameter dynamics of the physical development in children and youth of Volgograd region (Russian Federation) using the percentile method. Russian Open Medical Journal. 2020;9(1):e0104. doi: 10.15275/rusomj.2020.010 EDN: WDJNHB
  4. Korpics J, Stillerman A, Hinami K, et al. Declining health risk exposure among Chicago public high school students: Trends from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 1997–2017. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2020;20(101161). doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101161
  5. Żegleń M, Marini E, Cabras S, et al. The relationship among the age at menarche, anthropometric characteristics, and socio-economic factors in Bengali girls from Kolkata, India. Am J Hum Biol. 2020;32(4):e23380. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23380
  6. Marshall WA, Tanner JM. Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1969;44(235):291–303. doi: 10.1136/adc.44.235.291
  7. Fonseca MJ, Oliveira A, Azevedo I, et al. Association of Pubertal Development With Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Health in Girls and Boys—Findings From the Generation XXI Birth Cohort. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2019;65(4):558–563. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.05.014
  8. Kuchma VR, Sukhareva LM, Rapoport IK, et al. Population health of children, risks to health and sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of students: problems, ways of solution and technology of the activity. Hygiene and Sanitation. 2017;96(10):990–995. doi: 10.18821/0016-9900-2017-96-10-990-995 EDN: ZWSRUR
  9. Denisov EI. Robots, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality: ethical, legal and hygienic issues. Hygiene and Sanitation. 2019;98(1):5–10. doi: 10.18821/0016-9900-2019-98-1-5-10 EDN: VTGTGB
  10. Malitha JM, Islam MA, Islam S, et al. Early age at menarche and its associated factors in school girls (age, 10 to 12 years) in Bangladesh: a cross-section survey in Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. J Physiol Anthropol. 2020;39(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40101-020-00218-w
  11. Gladkaya VS, Gritsinskaya VL. Regional features of sexual development of girls in a single-industry city in the Khakassia region. Pediatric and Adolescent Reproductive Health. 2018;(2):21–26. doi: 10.24411/1816-2134-2018-12002 EDN: UTMDZH
  12. Kurkin PI. Moscow working youth. Issue II. Moscow: Moszdravotd; 1925. 48 p. (In Russ.)
  13. Stavizkaya AB, Romenskij AA, Maksimova TM, et al. Materials on physical development of children and adolescents in cities and rural areas of the USSR. Issue 3. Moscow: Medgiz; 1977. 495 p. (In Russ.)
  14. Maksimova TM. Materials on physical development of children and adolescents in cities and rural areas of the USSR. Issue IV. Moscow: All-Union research Institute of social hygiene and health organization named after N.A. Semashko; 1986. 171 p. (In Russ.)
  15. Maksimova TM, Podunova LG. Materials on physical development of children and adolescents in cities and rural areas of the Russia Federation. Issue V. Moscow: NII social'noj gigieny, jekonomiki i upravlenija zdravoohraneniem; 1998. 192 p. (In Russ.)
  16. Baranov AA, Kuchma VR, Yampolskaya UA. Research methods of physical development of children and adolescents in population monitoring. Manual for doctors. Moscow: Sojuz pediatrov Rossii; 1999. 226 p. (In Russ.)
  17. Kuchma VR, Sukhareva LM, Chramtsov PI, et al. Guidelines for hygiene of children and adolescents, medical support for students in educational organizations. Moscow: NCZD RAMN; 2016. 610 p. (In Russ.)
  18. Kuchma VR, Sokolova SB. Behavioral risks that are dangerous for the health of schoolchildren of the XXI century. Moscow: NMIC zdorov'ya detey Minzdrava Rossii; 2017. 170 p. (In Russ.) ISBN: 978-5-94302-031-4
  19. Baranov AA, Kuchma VR. Physical development of children and adolescents of the Russian Federation. Issue VI. Moscow: Pediatr; 2013. 192 p. (In Russ.) ISBN: 978-5-4235-0325-3
  20. Kuchma VR, Skoblina NA, Milushkina ОYu, et al. Physical development of children and adolescents of the Russian Federation. Issue VII. Moscow: Litterra; 2019. 176 p. (In Russ.) ISBN: 978-5-4235-0325-3
  21. Kuchma VR, Skoblina NA, Milushkina OYu, Bokareva NA. Comparative analysis of physical and biological development of schoolchildren in Moscow. Hygiene and Sanitation. 2012;91(4):47–52. EDN: PTUMXP
  22. Milushkina OYu, Skoblina NA, Bokareva NA, et al. Comparative Characteristics of Physical Development of Schoolchildren in Moscow and Kiev. International journal of biomedicine. 2016;6(4):279–282. doi: 10.21103/Article6(4)_OA6 EDN: XESTKZ
  23. Milushkina OYu, Skoblina NA, Prusov PK, et al. Dependence of muscle strength on biological maturation rates and key variables of physical development in teenage boys. Bulletin of Russian State Medical University. 2017;(6):29–35. doi: 10.24075/brsmu.2017-06-05 EDN: YQZHDK
  24. Platonova AG, Skoblina NA, Bokareva NA, Milushkina OYu. The functional state of the organism of schoolchildren residing in Moscow and Kiev. Hygiene and Sanitation. 2013;92(3):74–77. EDN: QIQQDF
  25. Godina EZ. Secular trends: results and prospects. Human physiology. 2009;35(6):128–135. EDN: KYGHDT
  26. Radulović A, Jurak G, Leskošek B. Secular trends in physical fitness of Slovenian boys and girls aged 7 to 15 years from 1989 to 2019: a population-based study. Scientific Reports. 2022;12(1):10495. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14813-7
  27. Potočnik ŽL, Jurak G, Starc G. Secular Trends of Physical Fitness in Twenty-Five Birth Cohorts of Slovenian Children: A Population-Based Study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2020;(8):561273. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.561273
  28. Kasović M, Štefan L, Petrić V. Secular trends in health-related physical fitness among 11–14-year-old Croatian children and adolescents from 1999 to 2014. Scientific Reports. 2021;11(1):11039. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90745-y
  29. Eberhardt T, Niessner C, Oriwol D, et al. Secular Trends in Physical Fitness of Children and Adolescents: A Review of Large-Scale Epidemiological Studies Published after 2006. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(16):5671. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17165671
  30. Bi C, Zhang F, Gu Y, et al. Secular trend in the physical fitness of Xinjiang children and adolescents between 1985 and 2014. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;(17):2195. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17072195
  31. Westerstahl M, Barnekow-Bergkvist M, Hedberg G, Jansson E. Secular trends in body dimensions and physical fitness among adolescents in Sweden from 1974 to 1995. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2003;(13):128–137. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0838.2003.10274.x
  32. Albon HM, Hamlin MJ, Ross JJ. Secular trends and distributional changes in health and fitness performance variables of 10–14-year-old children in New Zealand between 1991 and 2003. Br J Sports Med. 2010;(44):263–269. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.047142

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
Download
2. Fig. 1. Annual increase in body length in Moscow girls in the 1920s and early 21st century, cm.

Download (17KB)
Indexing metadata
3. Fig. 2. Distribution of Moscow girls by age of menarche in the 1920s and early 21st century, %.

Download (40KB)
Indexing metadata

© 2025 Eco-Vector

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


Согласие на обработку персональных данных с помощью сервиса «Яндекс.Метрика»

1. Я (далее – «Пользователь» или «Субъект персональных данных»), осуществляя использование сайта https://journals.rcsi.science/ (далее – «Сайт»), подтверждая свою полную дееспособность даю согласие на обработку персональных данных с использованием средств автоматизации Оператору - федеральному государственному бюджетному учреждению «Российский центр научной информации» (РЦНИ), далее – «Оператор», расположенному по адресу: 119991, г. Москва, Ленинский просп., д.32А, со следующими условиями.

2. Категории обрабатываемых данных: файлы «cookies» (куки-файлы). Файлы «cookie» – это небольшой текстовый файл, который веб-сервер может хранить в браузере Пользователя. Данные файлы веб-сервер загружает на устройство Пользователя при посещении им Сайта. При каждом следующем посещении Пользователем Сайта «cookie» файлы отправляются на Сайт Оператора. Данные файлы позволяют Сайту распознавать устройство Пользователя. Содержимое такого файла может как относиться, так и не относиться к персональным данным, в зависимости от того, содержит ли такой файл персональные данные или содержит обезличенные технические данные.

3. Цель обработки персональных данных: анализ пользовательской активности с помощью сервиса «Яндекс.Метрика».

4. Категории субъектов персональных данных: все Пользователи Сайта, которые дали согласие на обработку файлов «cookie».

5. Способы обработки: сбор, запись, систематизация, накопление, хранение, уточнение (обновление, изменение), извлечение, использование, передача (доступ, предоставление), блокирование, удаление, уничтожение персональных данных.

6. Срок обработки и хранения: до получения от Субъекта персональных данных требования о прекращении обработки/отзыва согласия.

7. Способ отзыва: заявление об отзыве в письменном виде путём его направления на адрес электронной почты Оператора: info@rcsi.science или путем письменного обращения по юридическому адресу: 119991, г. Москва, Ленинский просп., д.32А

8. Субъект персональных данных вправе запретить своему оборудованию прием этих данных или ограничить прием этих данных. При отказе от получения таких данных или при ограничении приема данных некоторые функции Сайта могут работать некорректно. Субъект персональных данных обязуется сам настроить свое оборудование таким способом, чтобы оно обеспечивало адекватный его желаниям режим работы и уровень защиты данных файлов «cookie», Оператор не предоставляет технологических и правовых консультаций на темы подобного характера.

9. Порядок уничтожения персональных данных при достижении цели их обработки или при наступлении иных законных оснований определяется Оператором в соответствии с законодательством Российской Федерации.

10. Я согласен/согласна квалифицировать в качестве своей простой электронной подписи под настоящим Согласием и под Политикой обработки персональных данных выполнение мною следующего действия на сайте: https://journals.rcsi.science/ нажатие мною на интерфейсе с текстом: «Сайт использует сервис «Яндекс.Метрика» (который использует файлы «cookie») на элемент с текстом «Принять и продолжить».