Growth and development acceleration of male children and youth from Tuzla area in period between 1980 to 2003, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Secular growth and development changes in children vary in the last decades among different population. Some show extensive trend towards greater body height and weight. In others height shows trend of increase, and in some there are no changes at all. Therefore, there is a relative independency of secular changes in development and growth. The objective of this work is to show whether any changes are noticed in secular growth of adolescents in Tuzla's area. Six anthropometri cal parameters have been examined: height body mass, average chest size, sitting height, leg length, and arm length. The data has been compared with the corresponding research data from 1980 and 1996. conducted on a sample of similar population. The conducted analysis of the gathered data primarily rests on the scientific elaboration of registered state from the year 2003 in the examined part of the population, after an unnatural and extremely unfavourable period in process of growth and development of one bigger part of the group. Namely, all the examinees were born in the period between 1985 and 1992 so one part of their intensive growth was during (1992-1995) and after the war. Despite the negative influence of the living conditions (war) on the ontogenesis of the examinees, it has been determined that the growth and development of male children in this area proceeds harmoniously, and that it is in limits of average European standards. The determined secular trend for body height is 2.31 cm/dec, body mass 3.42 kg/dec, average chest size is 1.72 cm/dec.