Articles

Introduction. Physical development of younger generation is considered to be important part of age biology issues. This research aimed to conduct the assessment study on physical development of modern children and adolescents born and permanently living in extreme conditions of the North-East of Russia, and compare it to the 2001 survey.

Materials and methods. Four thousand two hundred and seven schoolchildren aged 10–17, both males and females, participated in the 2019 monitoring. Basic anthropometric parameters were measured for each student: Body Length, Body Mass, Chest Circumference in pause, and Body Mass Index was calculated. We comparatively analyzed the age dynamics of the studied anthropometric indicators and the rate of change in these indicators during the year within each age group, as well as differences between the same age groups of the 2001 and 2019 surveys.

Results. Modern adolescents tend to be higher in somatometric indices as compared to those of previous years. Modern boys exhibited higher BM within the age of 13–16 (p<0.05), BL within the age of 11–16 (p<0.05), and CC at the age of 17 (p<0.05). They experience the active increase in their BM, BL, and CC starting at 12–13 while the boys from the 2001 survey demonstrated the comparable increase (p<0.05), they are higher in BM at the age of 12–15 (p<0.05), and CC at ages of 11 and 13–14 (p<0.05). Modern girls show the active increase in their BM, BL, and CC starting at 11–13, while it lasted until the age of 14 in the girls from the 2001 survey. The BMI variables proved to increase towards overweight and obesity: boys gained 2.2 kg and 5.4 kg, and girls 9.5 kg and 5 kg, respectively.

Conclusion. We found the shift of the growth leaps in BL, BM, and CC to younger ages as characteristic of the modern adolescents. In general, higher variables of the studied indicators are evidence of the ongoing acceleration processes in physical development. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. Against the background of the secular trend, which many authors note all over the world, researchers are faced with a methodological problem consisting in the choice of a constitutional scheme for assessing the type of physique. Until the early 2000s, V.P. Chtetsov's somatotypological scheme was widely used in our country, which has now lost its relevance due to the processes of secular trend. The aim of this study is to update the assessment tables in V.P. Chtetsov's constitutional scheme and to actualise the application of this scheme for the assessment of somatotypes in modern youth (aged 17–19 years).

Materials and methods. The study is based on the materials obtained during the annual anthropometric monitoring of Moscow student youth in 2000-2023 (number of samples: 3026 women and 3452 men; measurement of more than 20 physique indices).

Results. The updated normative tables for V.P. Chtetsov's constitutional scheme, calculated on the basis of anthropometric survey materials of more than 6400 people, are presented. Not only mean values and values of standard deviations have been updated in accordance with modern data, but also the general appearance of the tables (the boundaries of intervals for conversion of measuring features into points are presented) for easy reading of information.

Discussion. When comparing the initial evaluation tables of V.P. Chtetsov's scheme with the updated ones, the main tendencies of the secular trend are observed: the modern youth clearly show a significant increase in longitudinal skeletal dimensions and a slight decrease in transverse skeletal dimensions, as well as a decrease in muscle mass and an increase in the fat component of the physique in comparison with the surveyed sample of the early 70s of the last century. A comparative analysis of the distribution of different variants of somatotypes of girls and boys, determined according to the original tables of V.P. Chtetsov's scheme and according to the updated tables of the same scheme, has been carried out. The distribution based on the updated normative tables objectively reflects the variability of body features and the distribution of somatotypes in modern youth.

Conclusion. The obtained results are of practical importance, as new estimation tables for determining somatotypes (in this study for men and women aged 17–19) according to the constitutional scheme of V.P. Chtetsov, taking into account secular changes in body size in the modern population, are introduced into academic turnover. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. The goal of study is description of secular dynamics of sexual dimorphism (SD) of main somatic dimensions of children of early and first childhood and its quantitative estimation.

Material and methods. The main source of material – books on physical development of children and adolescents of cities of Russia and former USSR, collected and treated according to the common methodical standards of Science Research Institute of Child Hygiene and thus completely comparable. Analysis of material was held in two variants – meta-analysis based on the whole pool of samples and description of the local patterns of secular SD dynamics in connection with the level of anthropogenic pressure of the residence place and ethnicity of samples. The estimation of the vector and level of associations of SD of anthropometric traits and secular factor was held using correlation analysis. The quantitative estimation of SD value was held using Kullback divergence, analogue of Mahalanobis distance.

Results. Meta-analysis revealed average temporal stability of somatic SD through the early and first childhood Analysis of SD dynamics of Moscow children revealed some decrease of SD levels in 1970s, in other words temporal macrosomization of Moscow girls as compared to boys. The level of urbanization results in greater macrosomization of boys as compared to girls in environments with higher level of anthropogenic pressure – city with 1 million population quantity compared to the small town with stable quantity of population about 40 000. Ethnic specificity of the vector and velocity of secular SD dynamics is illustrated with the model of Russian and Tatar children of Kazan and Russian and Chuvash children of Cheboksary.

Conclusion. The results of study support the fact that higher ecosensitivity to the secular factor is not the prerogative of male sex only; early and first childhood do not give examples of systematic effect of higher ecosensitivity of boys compared to girls of their ethnoterritorial groups to the temporal factor. SD of body dimensions is the autonomic marker of the microevolutionary somatic dynamics through the early and first childhood. The most informative quantitative indicator of intergroup specificity of secular processes is SD of height. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license

Introduction. This work is devoted to the study of some aspects of age and (or) temporal variability of a number of morphological features of the head and face in the adult Chuvash population in Bashkiria. The objectives of the study were to analyze and assess the presence and degree of morphological changes on the skull of an adult according to a number of signs included in the program on ethnic anthropology, as well as to study their possible connection with age-related transformations or acceleration of development and secular trend.

Materials and methods. The surveys were conducted in two districts of Bashkiria, Aurgazinsky and Bizhbulyaksky, in villages with a predominantly Chuvash population. The material was collected in 1999, in total, data were obtained for 361 men and 352 women born from 1915 to 1980. The paper studied the temporal and age variability of the following features: longitudinal, transverse, zygomatic and mandibular dimeters, the smallest width of the forehead, measured the morphological height of the face (from the nasion) and the circumference of the head, calculated the head index. The material was collected by the same researcher. The data were divided into 11 age groups in increments of 5 years, starting in 1925. In each group, the average values of the features and standard deviations were calculated. For all signs, scatter diagrams of the values of signs vs year of birth are presented.

Results and discussion. The most stable signs in terms of age were the minimal width of the forehead, head circumference and mandibular diameters. The magnitude of the head index varies significantly due to age-related changes in the transverse and longitudinal diameters of the head, which determine the magnitude of the index. The age-related decrease or stable condition of the head pointer, according to G.L. Hit’ [1968], contradicts our observations. For most indicators, with the exception of morphological height of the face and zygomatic diameter, no pronounced changes were found, which may be due to local features of the development of the examined group.

Conclusion. The conducted studies have shown that for a more thorough study of the problem under consideration, it is necessary to attract additional materials collected at different times and under different environmental conditions for a close group (for example, in stable populations of Khalkha Mongols). © 2023.This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Since the early 1860s photographic practice has become an integral part of the scientific process and one of the main methods of ethnographic and anthropological research in Russia. In the course of preparations for the first Ethnographic Exhibition in Russia (1867), organized by the Society of Devotees of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography (OLEAE), the Photographic Commission established by the Exhibition Committee (1866) developed a regulation on the execution of photographic portraits of the local population. In 1872 the first “instructions” in Russia for ethnographic and anthropological photography were published.

Materials and methods. The source for the preparation of the article was a collection of photographs collected by E.D. Felitsyn (1848-1903) and presented at the Anthropological Exhibition of 1879 in Moscow. Currently, it is stored in the funds of the D.N. Anuchin Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Results and discussion. Photographs of representatives of two nationalities - Kabardians and Shapsugs, who lived in the Kuban region, are described and analyzed: the villages of Blechepsinsky and Khodzsky (currently the village of Blechepsin and the village of Khodz of the Koshekhablsky district of the Republic of Adygea), Khokhondukovsky and Kasaevsky (currently the village of Ali-Berdukovsky and the village of Khabez in the Khabezsky district of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic) and the village of Kudzhirsky in the Maikop district, that was located on the left bank of the river Farce and abolished in 1885. These are: 3 photographs of children (6 and 8 years old), 7 photographs of men (18-58 years old) and 5 photographs of women (18-60 years old). A description of the depicted national clothes is given, as well as a summary of literary anthropological information about the Kabardians and Shapsugs of this period.

Conclusion. The first published photographs of representatives of the two peoples of the North Caucasus living in the Kuban region in the second half of the 19th century make it possible to visualize some aspects of the historical information that scientists have at their disposal, to clarify the available anthropological, historical and cultural data on the Kabardians and Shapsugs, and also are an addition to the historical, archaeological, anthropological, genetic and ethnographic studies of the peoples of the North Caucasus. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Since 1820s, it became customary in the Russian Empire to hold various exhibitions - dedicated to manufacture and consequently industry; agricultural, local and national, as well as take part in international exhibitions. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the number, scale and thematic diversity of such exhibitions grew significantly. Exhibitions related activities, which claimed such wide range and popularity, marked the change in public thought process about the new economic structures being established, and the understanding of the issues and risks associated with them, following industrial revolution. One of the problems identified was the deterioration of sanitary and hygiene conditions in cities, caused by growth in industrial production and population.

Materials and methods. Catalogues of the Russian National Hygiene Exhibition of 1893 are the sources for this work. As well as documenting activities of the exhibition, they contain illustrative materials, scientific and academic reports on urban life, data from the periodicals of that era, in the study of which historico-typological and historico-descriptive methods are used.

Results. In the majority of differently themed exhibitions, natural science and medical sections were established, which confirmed the need for targeted development of medical and sanitary aspects. These sections, which were partly organised by scientific societies, were seen, for example, at the Polytechnic Exhibition in 1872, the Craft Exhibition in 1885, Siberian-Ural Scientific and Industrial Exhibition in 1887 in Ekaterinburg, and Scientific and Industrial Exhibition of the Volzhsko-Kamskii region in Kazan in 1890. Finally, in May 1893, Russian National Exhibition was opened in St Petersburg dedicated solely to the development of sanitary and hygienic issues. Exhibition’s organisers declared enlightenment to be its main goal- popularisation of knowledge, scientific discoveries, and inventions in the field of hygiene and sanitation. A large number of state institutions and departments, scientific and public organisations, and private entrepreneurs helped to prepare this exhibition, presenting about 50 thousand exhibits that describe all aspects of human life from both medical and sanitary points of view. Various models and mockups, drawings, sketches and photographs, devices, equipment and tools, demonstrated achievements both in scientific and practical terms.

Conclusion. This exhibition attracted high levels of attention, and its exhibits convincingly proved existence of serious problems and threats in the area of public hygiene and sanitation. It became apparent that in order to solve these on a contemporary level, it was necessary to rely on joint scientific and technological resources. Russia’s participation in the World Hygiene Exhibition in 1911 was another step in this direction, followed by the launch of Russia’s second National Hygiene Exhibition in 1913, the footprint of which grew even larger. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

The catalog of the collection of copies of fossil finds of the genus Homo, which is kept in the Museum of Anthropology of Moscow State University, is presented in this article. The publication will be useful for researchers to sel ect research materials.

Materials and methods. The documents of the archive of the Museum of Anthropology of MSU were used to work on the article. Analytical and chronological research methods were applied in the study.

Results and discussion. Brief information on the history of the collection formation. The section contains data on the sources of replenishment of the collection, the names of the scientists who handed over the items are named. The collection of copies of fossil bones is divided into parts that combine items that came fr om the same source and at the same time.

Catalog of collections. A short catalog of collections of copies of Homo finds of the Museum of Anthropology is presented in the table. The finds are listed in alphabetical order, the division into geographical regions and chronological periods was not carried out.

Conclusion. The catalog of copies of finds of representatives of the genus Homo, stored in the Museum of Anthropology of MSU, is presented in this article. A catalog of finds of other systematic groups of the Primates order will be compiled and published in the near future. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. In recent years, insufficient attention has been paid to the study of the dynamics of the growth and development of children of early and preschool age, their variability over time and depending on various factors of the external and internal environment. The literature data are contradictory and indicate two multidirectional processes – acceleration and deceleration.

Materials and methods. A comparative analysis of basic anthropometric indicators of physical development (length and body weight) in children of early and preschool age in Belarus, obtained in 2021 (group I) and in 1989–1997 (group II), was carried out. These populations were homogeneous in place of residence, ethnicity, and close in time of inspection. The number of boys and girls in the first group was 700 people, in the second group – 3351 and 3175 people, respectively.

Results. Monitoring of anthropometric indicators of children of early and preschool age allowed to establish the features of physical development. Boys of group I from birth to 6 years of age are significantly more likely to have higher body weight indicators compared to group II. In girls, this trend was not registered only at the age of 3 years (P>0.05). In all age periods, both sexes of the group I significantly more often have higher body length indicators compared to the group II. The most pronounced difference in body length (over 4 cm) in children of the group I and group II was noted in boys and girls in the age groups of 2 and 5 years. The analysis shows an increase in somatometric indicators of physical development and the phenomenon of acceleration.

Conclusion. The conducted studies have established the presence of higher values of body length and weight in children in 2021 compared to their peers in 1989–1997. Higher levels of all the studied indicators were noted in boys than in girls. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Most of the burial mounds of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region combine the burials of representatives of different archaeological cultures separated by thousands of years. Therefore, the rate of accumulation of monocultural synchronous materials in collections for some epochs is quite low, and slows down even more due to the unequal preservation of bone remains. The introduction of new information into scientific circulation based on the results of recent archaeological work will allow faster accumulation of materials and data exchange between researchers working on the same issue. The purpose of this work is to publish morphological features of the skeleton of individuals belonging to the Sarmatian culture of the Pre-Caucasus.

Materials and methods. The skeletons of three individuals, from three burials of one mound, dating from the III-I centuries BC and belonging to the nomads of the early Sarmatian time were investigated. The study used both traditional methods of anthropology and bioarchaeological approaches. Sex and age studies were carried out on all preserved parts of the skeleton according to standard anthropological methods. A program for fixing markers of stress and pathological conditions was applied to all the studied individuals.

Results. Skeletal remains of two young women and a mature man were studied. Both women had anomalies in the development of teeth: in one case – underdevelopment of enamel, in the other – partial congenital adentia. A set of specific features on the postcranial skeleton of a man allow us to characterize him as a rider, right-handed.

Discussion. The results of the study supplement our knowledge about the variability of morphological features of the skeleton of representatives of the nomads of the early Sarmatian culture. Some of the detected signs have a pronounced genetic determination; however, the data obtained is insufficient to identify kinship ties, despite the fact that according to the interpretation of archaeologists, this group of burials is defined as a generic cemetery created during the lifetime of one generation. All the discovered features of the skeleton find analogies among the published materials of synchronous time. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. A dinucleotide deletion of AG at the rs781470490 locus of the SI gene (SI delAG variant) causes dysfunction of the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme and the inability to digest sugar. The deletion frequency in the world is 0.0021%, while among the Inuit (Eskimo) it reaches 17–20%. Research hypothesis: the SI delAG variant is common in all the populations of indigenous northerners.
The study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of the SI delAG variant in the Cis-Ural, Siberian, and Far East populations of the Russian Federation and compare it to that of the Inuit people.
Materials and methods. DNA genotyping and the SI delAG variant frequency analysis were carried out in the samples from study groups of Russians, Komi, Mansi, Khanty, Nenets, Shors, Evenks, Evens, Koryaks, Chukchi (n =613). Corresponding data for the Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit (n =391) were used for comparison.
Results and discussion. The deletion in samples from the Chukchi, Koryak, and Even study groups occurred in 14, 7, and 4%, respectively; there was no the deletion found in the samples of the other Siberian and Cis-Ural groups. The carriage of the SI delAG variant decreases with the distance from the area of the Greenlandic Inuit. The Inuit, Chukchi, and Koryak groups form a distinct cluster. The Paleo-Eskimo do not carry the deletion. Minimal amounts of sugar-containing products appeared in the diet of the Greenlandic and Canadian Inuit at the end of the 19th century, 200 years later than in the diet of aboriginal northerners of Eurasia.
Conclusions. There was no SI delAG variant found in the samples of the indigenous people of West Eurasia high latitude regions. The deletion emerged in Neo-Eskimo population 1.2–2 thousand years ago and has been retained in the small numbered isolate due to their way of existence and diet. In the populations of the northwest coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Chukchi Peninsula, the SI delAG variant was brought by the gene flow from the Inuit people. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an indirect method of body composition assessment. The equipment for BIA measurements is produced in many countries including Russia and may differ in electrical current frequencies, measurement schemes and built-in algorithms for the evaluation of body composition. In view of this, body composition estimates from various BIA instruments may be inconsistent which limits the ability to combine and generalize BIA data. Our purpose was to analyze the consistency and possibility of joint use of the BIA data obtained using the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ (SRC Medas, Moscow) and Diamant-AIST (LLC Diamant, St. Petersburg) instruments in adults.

Materials and methods. 185 adult volunteers (107 women and 78 men) aged 18 to 61 years were examined according to the standard anthropometric measurement protocol and on the basis of paired consecutive measurements with the bioimpedance body composition instruments ABC-01 ‘Medas’ and Diamant-AIST. The estimates of fat-free mass (FFM), body fat (BF) and percentage body fat (%BF) were compared. Mutual calibration of the bioimpedance data was carried out based on transformation of the Diamant-AIST data using a conversion formula between the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ and Diamant-AIST resistances and subsequent application the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ body composition assessment algorithm.

Results. There were significant differences in the median values of FFM, BF and %BF estimates provided by the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ and Diamant-AIST instruments. The FFM values in females using the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ instrument were significantly lower, and the BF and %BF were significantly higher as compared to the Diamant-AIST data. In males, the inverse relationship was observed while maintaining significant differences between the medians.

The differences in paired estimates of body composition data provided by the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ instrument and the transformed Diamant-AIST data in males and females, respectively, were statistically insignificant. Also, the confidence intervals for the differences of paired body composition estimates reduced essentially, but still not ensured good consistency of individual body composition data.

Conclusions. Significant differences in paired values of fat-free mass, fat mass and relative body fat using the ABC-01 ‘Medas’ and Diamant-AIST bioimpedance instruments are obtained. The possibility of mutual calibration and joint analysis of the related bioimpedance data at the group level is established. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Rapid life style changes are leading causes of increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks among people in India today. Despite the country’s high ethnic diversity, studies related to physiology and such health risks, particularly among the tribal populations have been limited.

Materials and methods. The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,434 tribal participants belonging to six tribes from the two states of West Bengal and Odisha. The aim of the present study was to understand the relationship of age (in years), sex and raised Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m²) with selected CVD risk factors among the six tribes of India.

Results. In the males, raised BMI (kg/m²) was found to influence CVD risks by significantly increasing the blood glucose among the age group (in years) of <40 years (Odds Ratio (OR)= 6.396, p≤ 0.05); isolated systolic hypertension among the age groups <40 years (OR= 2.387, p≤ 0.01) and ≥40 years (OR= 2.123, p≤ 0.05); isolated diastolic hypertension among the age groups <40 years (OR=4.74, p≤0.001) and >40 years (OR= 3.24, p≤ 0.001); hypertensive MAP among the age group <40 years (OR= 5.769, p≤ 0.001) and hypertensive blood pressure among the age groups <40 years (OR= 5.865, p≤ 0.01) and ≥40 years (OR= 3.127, p≤ 0.01).

Conclusion. Among females low BMI (kg/m²) was seen to be linked with higher CVD risk. Influence of BMI (kg/m²), age (in years) and sex on CVD risks can explain the increasing health threat among the tribal populations in India. Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) can be considered to correctly indicate the cardiovascular risks; particularly in case of the younger population. An increasing tendency towards a double burden of disease is evident in the studied populations. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. The goal of study – quantitative conformities of intergroup variability of the level of sexual dimorphism (SD) of somatic traits of children of early and first childhood in connection with ecological factors – the degree of urbanization and the geographic latitude of the residence place of population.

Material and methods. The analysis embraces the wide specter of ethno-territorial samples of 3-year-old and 6-year-old children from Russia and former USSR of the second part of XX century (literary data). Each sample has minimal necessary number of statistical characteristics: number of sex/age groups, means and standard deviations for height, weight, chest girth. The quantitative estimation of SD level is performed using Kullback divergence, the analogue of Makhalanobis distance. To estimate the direction and the level of associations of SD of anthropometric traits and ecological parameters the classic correlation analysis for pair combinations of indices in age groups of 3- and 6-year-old children was used.

Results. For the compact block of Slavonic samples, examined in 1960s–1970s, the increase of the level of the quantity of population of the residence place is associated with significant decrease of SD of height and SD of weight. The same association for 3-year-old children has the character of tendency, but the same vector of dynamics. SD of chest girth has some small negative significant correlations with the latitude for 3-year-old children and close to significant level for 6-year-old children. The estimation of comparable dynamics of SD of somatic traits in pairs of rural and urban samples of the same region revealed less meanings of SD of height and weight of urban children, that is higher synchrony of growth processes of sexes through the increase of the level of urbanization.

Conclusion. The decrease of SD of height/weight parameters and greater sex synchrony of growth dynamics apart with increase of the level of urbanization of the residence place may be the result of better quality of the urban environment (medicine service, nutrition quality, social family status). The decrease of the level of SD of chest girth apart with the increase of the values of geographic latitude witness to the greater sex uniformity of adaptive reactions to the more extremal climatic conditions. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. Physical development indicator variables can be used to estimate the population health status. Mature and elderly male residents of Magadan region, Aborigines and Caucasians by origin, were examined to study basic anthropometric indicators.

Materials and methods. This study presented data obtained in the 2022 Evensk and Magadan Reproductive Health pilot project and Kolyma Longevity regional program surveys. The data of medical examination records of one hundred and seven male residents from the district of Evensk and eight hundred ninety-nine from the city of Magadan were assessed. The following anthropometric indicators were put into general database: body length, body mass, waist circumference, and body mass index was also calculated. Age and ethnic criteria were applied to form 6 groups.

Results. The research showed that negative tendencies in physical development were characteristic of both ethnic groups in both regions: all examinees exhibited high percentage of overweight and shorter body length with the incidence growing with increasing age. The higher waist circumference index at older age in Caucasian populations of Magadan indicated subjective abdominal obesity. The ethnicity proved to specify the dynamics of physical development indicators with age: Caucasian examinees, mostly from the city of Magadan, tended to get shorter in body length with an increase in waist circumference and body mass variables. Aboriginals pronouncedly reduced body length with a tendency to a decrease in body mass, body circumference and body mass index.

Conclusion. Age and ethnicity have an influence on somatometric status of northern residents, which should be considered when forming regional standards of physical development. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Introduction. This review is a continuation of the research devoted to the assessment of the development of auxology in Russian anthropology. The first part was devoted to a comprehensive assessment of the processes of growth and development of children from birth to 3 years old, living both in our country and in the countries of the near abroad. The analyzed sources describe factors influencing growth processes (evolutionary, climatic, geographical, ethnic and genetic factors, constitutional features of mothers, circumstances of intrauterine growth) [Permiakova, 2023]. This article examines and describes in more detail the main activities of auxologists, as well as physicians and psychologists working both within our country and in cooperation with foreign researchers from various academic institutions.

Materials and methods. In this part of the work, the author analyzed articles devoted to the comprehensive assessment of physical development (as well as factors affecting it) of the school and student contingent living in Russia and some other countries. All these articles were published in Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin from 2009 to 2022.

Results and discussion. Works in the designated area, on the one hand, analyze the physical development of children and youth of the Moscow region, on the other hand, assess the differences in the rates and dynamics of growth processes of residents of different regions of our country and abroad, including the secular aspect. In addition, representative samples are used to analyze socio-economic factors affecting these processes and determining the features of their course in a particular territory. Complex studies involving the relationship of somatic development indicators not only with socio-economic or environmental parameters, but also the psychological characteristics of the subjects are also important.

Conclusion. The number of works devoted to the subject under study is quite numerous, which allows us to speak about the undiminished interest of domestic anthropologists in studying the problems of growth and development. The complex nature of most of them, among other things, indicates an integrative approach to solving the problems posed to this field of science. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.