Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Suchomlinov A., e-mail: suchomlinov@yahoo.com; Tutkuviene J., e-mail: janina.tutkuviene@mf.vu.lt
Introduction. The analysis of personal health records is one of the ways to receive data about morphological characteristics of a child, as well as the information on the factors that influence his growth. The biggest advantages of this method are a possibility to receive big amounts of longitudinal growth data in a short period of time and its low price. Considering that children measurements taken in outpatient clinics are thought to be precise, this way to receive data on children growth is a perfect alternative to classic methods used in auxology. The aim of this study is to investigate which factors are associated with the regularity of children visits to the outpatient clinics. Material and methods. In total personal health records of 1535 children born in 1990 were analyzed. To analyze the growth of Lithuanian children from birth till 18 years we chose three biggest outpatient clinics in Vilnius (Antakalnio, Centro and Seskines) and five branches of the outpatient clinic of Vilnius region (the centre branch, Juodsiliai, Pagiriai, Rudamina and Skaidiskes). The growth data of Vilnius and Vilnius region due to the social and ethnic diversity of their inhabitants represent the whole country of Lithuania. The main body size indices (height, weight, circumference of head and chest) and information about parents, family status, living conditions, pregnancy and delivery were recorded and analyzed. Results. The age of children is the most important factor associated with the regularity of visiting the outpatient clinic. As a result, children during the first months of life and children at the age of 1, 7 years and adolescents (from 13 years of age) were measured most often (80-90%). At the age of 4-5 and especially 8-11 years (during the stable periods of growth) they were measured more rarely. The place of residence, the distance to the outpatient clinic and the ordinal number of a child in a family also had an impact on the regularity of visiting the outpatient clinic (second children in a family were visiting the outpatient clinic more rarely in comparison to the first children hence their measurements were more infrequent). Child’s sex, his nationality and socioeconomic status did not have any impact on the regularity of visiting the outpatient clinic. Conclusions. All these differences depending on age, location of the outpatient clinic etc. should be kept in mind using the method of personal health records’ analysis and planning the research of physical development of children.
physical development of children, outpatient clinic, personal health record, longitudinal study
Цит.: Suchomlinov A., Tutkuviene J. Physical development of Lithuanian children: the evaluation of personal health records’ analysis (longitudinal retrospective study, 1990-2008) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2011; 2/2011; с. 78-84
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