Morphological and Functional Characteristics of Adolescents in Indigenous Minority Groups of Various Climatic Zones in Russian North

Abstract

This work compares the morphological and functional indicators of adolescent children of indigenous peoples of Russian North living in different climatic zones: tundra (Dudinka) and forest-tundra (Neryungri). It was revealed that adolescents of Dudinka are more heavily built and have a higher Ketle index relative to their peers from Neryungri. The proportion of reserve fat in adolescents of Dudinka was higher, which is consistent with the study of the endomorphic component of the body. Boys from Neryungri had a physique type close to the asthenic body type. The vegetative Kerdo index of adolescents of Neryungri corresponds to normotonia; in adolescents of Dudinka, the index values were higher with a shift towards sympathicotonia. A study of heart rate variability showed that in 63.6 percent of Neryungri boys, the Baevsky stress index significantly exceeded the norm; it was close to normal in the rest of the boys