Wasiluk Agnieszka, Saczuk Jerzy
Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Physical Education and Health in Biala Podlaska, Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland.
J Clin Med. 2025 Aug 14;14(16):5767. doi: 10.3390/jcm14165767.
Secular trends in children's physical development are important indicators of population health, nutritional status, and socioeconomic conditions. This study aimed to assess long-term changes in the height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), and nutritional status of boys from Eastern Poland between 1986 and 2021. Anthropometric data were collected from 13,172 boys aged 8, 13, and 17 years at five time points (1986, 1996, 2006, 2016, and 2021). Standardized measurement protocols were used throughout the study. The BMI was calculated and categorized using international cut-off points for age and gender. Secular changes in the height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc tests, and differences in dietary categories were assessed using chi-square tests ( ≤ 0.05). The height, weight, and BMI increased significantly across all ages. The largest height gain was seen in 13-year-olds, while the greatest BMI increase occurred between 2016 and 2021. The overweight and obesity prevalence rose sharply by an average of 21.70% across age groups, with the normal BMI prevalence decreasing by 18.41%. The underweight prevalence declined, especially among adolescents; however, this likely reflects a general upward shift in the BMI rather than a true nutritional improvement. Strong secular trends are evident, influenced by global and local socioeconomic factors, including Poland's EU accession and the COVID-19 pandemic. While an increased height suggests better living standards, the rising overweight and obesity rates indicate emerging health risks. Due to the lack of direct lifestyle and socioeconomic data, further research incorporating these factors and the pubertal BMI variability is needed to clarify underlying causes. Targeted regional strategies promoting healthy diets, physical activity, and lifestyles are urgently required.
儿童身体发育的长期趋势是人口健康、营养状况和社会经济条件的重要指标。本研究旨在评估1986年至2021年期间波兰东部男孩的身高、体重、体重指数（BMI）和营养状况的长期变化。在五个时间点（1986年、1996年、2006年、2016年和2021年）收集了13172名8岁、13岁和17岁男孩的人体测量数据。在整个研究过程中使用了标准化的测量方案。BMI根据年龄和性别的国际切点进行计算和分类。身高、体重和体重指数（BMI）的长期变化采用方差分析（ANOVA）和事后检验进行分析，饮食类别差异采用卡方检验进行评估（≤0.05）。所有年龄段的身高、体重和BMI均显著增加。13岁男孩的身高增长最大，而BMI的最大增幅出现在2016年至2021年之间。各年龄组超重和肥胖患病率平均急剧上升21.70%，正常BMI患病率下降18.41%。体重不足患病率下降，尤其是在青少年中；然而，这可能反映了BMI的总体上升趋势，而非真正的营养改善。受全球和当地社会经济因素影响，包括波兰加入欧盟和新冠疫情，明显存在强烈的长期趋势。虽然身高增加表明生活水平提高，但超重和肥胖率上升表明出现了新的健康风险。由于缺乏直接的生活方式和社会经济数据，需要进一步开展纳入这些因素以及青春期BMI变异性的研究，以阐明潜在原因。迫切需要制定有针对性的区域战略，促进健康饮食、体育活动和生活方式。
