Comparative analysis of physical development of children, teen agers and youths from different countries at the end of the 1990s – the beginning of the 2000s

Abstract

We made a comparative analysis of the main indices of physical development of children, teen-agers and youth at the age of 7–17 years from Belarus, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria and Estonia, examined in the late 1990s – the early 2000s. The closest tendencies in the growth of Belarusian children of both sexes were noticed with Russians and Poles. Serbian and Estonian children are the tallest. Major variations appear between Belarusian and Estonian schoolchildren. Belarusian young people at the age of 7–17 showed significant similarities with almost all ethno-territorial groups regarding the pace and the nature of growth processes.