Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.
MASANOVIC, B.; POPOVIC, S.; JARANI, J.; SPAHI, A. & BJELICA, D. Nationwide stature estimation from armspan measurements in Albanian youngsters. Int. J. Morphol., 38(2):382-388, 2020.
SUMMARY:The purpose of this research is to examine stature in both Albanian sexes as well as its association with arm span, as an alternative to estimating stature. A total of 445 individuals (266 boys and 179 girls) participated in this research. The anthropometric measurements were taken according to the protocol of ISAK. The relationships between stature and arm span were determined using simple correlation coefficients at a 95 % confidence interval. Then a linear regression analysis was carried out to examine extent to which arm span can reliably predict stature. Results displayed that Albanian boys are 176.57±7.36 cm tall and have an arm span of 179.98±9.41 cm, while Albanian girls are 166.84±9.28 cm tall and have an arm span of 167.53±10.34 cm. The results have shown that both sexes made Albanians a tall nation but not even close to their male compatriots from Kosovo that are almost 3 centimeters taller, while the results in female population are opposite. Moreover, the arm span reliably predicts stature in both sexes, which confirms a high R-square (%) for the boys (73.4) as well as for the girls (78.8).
The purpose of this essay/study is: to provide general information about past and actual situation in Albania (data from a study conducted in Tirana); to promote awareness of DCD in Albania in order to create a better understanding of the difficulties children and parents face. A large number of cities and rural areas in Albania do not have special education institutions and especially rural areas where resides about 46.3% of the population (Albanian Census Preliminary Results 2011). Effectiveness and work of the institutions leaves much to be desired. Also, heterogeneity of the children contingents and the problems they had to face has shown that these institutions have no clear profiles, an aspect which has result in lower quality work. Data from a cross sectional on 1177 children (619 boys and 558 girls) aged {7-10 years old; grade 1-4) randomly selected in Tirana, using body coordination test for children-KTK Schilling 1974, 2007), show that children categorized at normal level represented only 30.5% of the entire sample, while almost half of the sample were categorized below the normal level as having moderate motor disorder. To be concerned is the number of children that fall into the level of severe motor disorder (19.4%) that will be the focus of future studies to be evaluated for having probably motor coordination disorder (possible DCD). In summary, increasing awareness of DCD and terminology used on parents and teachers is needed and providing effective and consistent management models based on a good evidence base to support families and children with DCD
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