Characteristics of autonomic status and school anxiety in schoolchildren with increased body mass index

BACKGROUND: In the Russian Federation, the incidence of obesity continues to grow among the child population. Vegetative imbalance and chronic stress play an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and related health disorders. Timely identification of disorders of psycho-vegetative disorders and their correction in overweight children require an integrated approach of medical and pedagogical workers.AIM: To reveal the features of the vegetative status, the level of school anxiety in students with an increased body mass index.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children with different body mass index (BMI) underwent a comparative analysis of the mean values and structure of revealed violations of cardiointervalography (heart rate variability, HRV) parameters, laboratory test parameters (plasma antioxidant activity, plasma malondialdehyde, triglycerides, total cholesterol, cortisol, magnesium and serotonin) and test parameters School Anxiety Scale of Phillips.RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight was 23.1%. The observation group consisted of 47 schoolchildren with a body mass index (BMI) +1–2 SD the comparison group consisted of 156 children with a normal BMI at the age of 10–15 years. The groups were comparable in terms of sex and age (p=0.629–0.771). Analysis of background HVR indices revealed a decrease in the values of parameters characterizing the activity of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with a simultaneous increase in the indicators of the sympathetic division of the ANS in the observation group relative to the comparison group (p=0.001–0.023); similar results were obtained during the orthostatic test. The cumulative assessment of CIG indicates a lower activity of the parasympathetic division in the regulation of the state of rest and a greater activity of the sympathetic division of the ANS in response to a stress factor in children with an increased BMI value. The children of the observation group showed higher levels of malondialdehyde (p = 0.041), triglycerides (p<0.001) and cortisol (p=0.093) with lower values of magnesium and serotonin (p=0.074–0.076). The analysis of the level of school anxiety showed that in children of the observation group the average level and frequency of the prevalence of high values of the indicator of general anxiety are higher in 1.3 and 2.5 (p=0.005), fear of self-expression — in 1.3 and 1.8 (p=0.080–0.086), fear of the situation of knowledge testing — by 1.5 (р=0.002) and 2.1 (p<0.001), the level of general anxiety — by 1.2 (р=0.090) and 2.3 times (p=0.036) relative to the comparison group. In the course of the mathematical analysis, the results were obtained indicating the relationship between the parameters of the vegetative and psychological status.CONCLUSION: The problem of excess nutrition remains an urgent issue of modern health care. Excess body weight is accompanied by the activation of the sympathoadrenal system with an increase in the level of school anxiety and all together forms a vicious circle. Excessive nutrition in school-age children requires an integrated approach of specialists in the medical and psychological-pedagogical sphere

Features of physical activity and school anxiety in pupils of the secondary general education school and the cadet corps

Relevance. The relevance of the study is due to the high significance of school anxiety in the formation of psychosomatic diseases and nervous disorders. Identification of risk factors for increased anxiety, one of which is low physical activity, is important for the timely organizing of preventive measures.The aim: to assess the characteristics of physical activity and school anxiety among schoolboys of secondary school and the cadet corps.Materials and methods. The observation group consisted of 47 schoolboys studying in a secondary general school at the age of 13–16; the comparison group consisted of 140 schoolboys of the cadet corps. The comparative assessment of physical activity bases on the analysis of the physical education implementation in educational organizations and the results of a survey according to the author’s questionnaire. A comparison was made of the parameters of bioimpedance analysis (BIA) of body composition, the content of cortisol and serotonin in the blood serum, and indicators of the Phillips school anxiety test.The results. Physical activity in the school system was limited to 3 hours per week, and in the additional education system there are only 14.9 % of schoolboys who devote 6–8 hours a week to sports, which is 3 times less than in the comparison group (46.4 %). Lower values of indicators of physical activity and body composition were found in secondary school boys relative to those in cadet corps (p = 0.015–0.038). The level of cortisol in the blood serum was 1.4 times higher, and the serotonin was 1.2 times less in schoolboys of the schools comparatively to cadets (p = 0.001–0.037). In secondary school schoolboys, relative to cadets, significantly 1.9–3.9 times more often increased values were recorded for the factor general anxiety at school, frustration of the need to achieve success, fear of self-expression, fear of the situation of testing knowledge, fear of not meeting the expectations of others, problems and fears in relations with teachers and general anxiety oppositely directed correlations of weak and moderate strength were established between the frequency and duration of physical education, BIA parameters, cortisol in the blood serum and factors of school anxiety.Conclusion. The values of the factors of school anxiety schoolboys of secondary general school are higher than in boys of the cadet corps and possibly they are associated with irregularity, relatively low duration of physical activity and the degree of development of metabolically active tissues

Pathological damage of thyroidopathy and the prevalence of thyroid diseases in children of the Perm region

Relevance. Thyroid diseases in children and adolescents rank first in the structure of endocrine pathology. An issue related to comparability of data on prevalence obtained with different procedures is vital given the necessity to intensify activities aimed at optimizing prevention of thyroid pathology.The aim. Comparative analysis of pathological lesions of thyropathies and the prevalence of thyroid gland diseases in children and adolescents living in the territory of the Perm region.Materials and methods. Prevalence of thyroid diseases was analyzed based on data taken from Statistic Form No. 12. Pathological damage caused by thyroid diseases was calculated based on results produced by medical examinations that included laboratory tests, ultrasound scanning of the thyroid gland, and a check-up by an endocrinologist. Calculation results were then compared with data taken from statistic reports. Influence exerted by sex and age on the growth in thyrotrophic hormone contents and thyroid gland volume was assessed by analyzing values in one-factor logistic regression models.Results. Prevalence of thyroid diseases, endemic goiter and subclinical hypothyroidism tends to decrease among children living in Perm region (р = 0.003–0.015) but prevalence of thyroiditis remains stable (р = 0.794). Having assessed prevalence among teenagers, we did not reveal any dynamics in prevalence of thyroid diseases and thyroiditis (р = 0.129–0.248); prevalence of endemic goiter went down in this age group (р = 0.008) whereas prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism grew due to iodine deficiency (р = 0.012). The difference between pathological damage and prevalence of thyroid diseases reached 4.8–38.6 times. Having analyzed created logistic models, we were not able to identify sex or age as predictors of thyroid pathology occurrence.Conclusion. Prevalence of thyroid pathology was established to be by 4.8–38.6 times lower than pathological damage. Iodine deficiency on a given territory calls for developing regional medical and prevention programs aimed at diagnosing and preventing thyroid diseases caused by it

Soil algae of old industrial dumps of Ural and their role in biological recultivation

Обобщены результаты изучения качественного и количественного состава водорослей на разновозрастных отвалах различных месторождений: угольных, буроугольных, железорудных, золоторудных, песчаных, асбестовых, огнеупорных глин. Показано, что водоросли составляют начальный этап экогенеза при естественном биологическом освоении промышленных отвалов. Группировки водорослей на отвалах различаются в зависимости от свойств пород, возраста отвалов и степени их зарастания.In the paper are generalized the results of the investigation qualitative and quantitative composition algae on the dumps of different deposits: coals, iron-stones, gold-fields, sandies, asbestos, fre-clays