Changes in Components of Body Mass and Their Relation During Period of Growth in Girls from Smolyan Region, Bulgaria (Anthropometric Study)

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the development of body mass components and their relations in the period of growth of girls. In the present work we study the development and variability of body mass components and their relation during the growth period of the girls.

The sample included 768 girls from region of Smolyan, aged 7–17, and measured in period 1998–2010. By Martin-Saller's method of each person two total body measurements, eight skinfold, four circumferences and four epicondilar diameters of lower and upper limbs were measured. For characteristics of the fat development of each person by means of GPM caliper with constant pressure of 10g/mm2 eight skinfolds were measured. Using formula body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was calculated. The all observed persons have normal physical development and body nutritional status. The body nutritional status of each persons were defined using of International cut—off points of BMI, created by Cole et al. The development of body mass components was based on anthropometric assessment of the fat, muscle, bone and residual mass. They were calculated using Matiegka method (by Veskler) and Mc Ardle, Katch and Katch formulas. The data were processed implementing descriptive and correlation analysis.

The results show that the total growth of body mass during childhood have been different importance, structure and mechanism. It is base are the qualitative changes in body composition, which occur at certain stages of girls development and characterized with different relation between the fractions, constituting body mass. The age interval of 9–10 is crucial in girls development. At this age the puberty growth jump occurs- the height increases by 10 cm on the average and weight- by 6 kg. Changes in the development of body mass components occur at this age determinate the future female architechtonics of the body. The fat component of girls is characterized by highest increase rate throughout the examined growth period, followed by the muscle, bone and residual component's increase rate. Body mass changes in girls of normal physical development and nutritional status are associated to a different higher degree with changes in muscle, bone and fat tissue mass. In this connection when diagnosing obesity it is necessary to use not only overweight signs as BMI, but also methods of fractioning body mass, which allow analyzing the development of its components, the fat component in particular.

Keywords:

• girls
• body mass components
• fat mass
• bone mass
• muscle mass
• growth