Red Blood Cell Variables in Children and Adolescents regarding the Age and Sex.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the basic red blood cell variables and hematological indices in children and adolescents and analyze the differences regarding age and sex. METHODS: Overall, 320 young participants, age 8 to 18 yr, were enrolled at Laboratory of Sport's Medicine, Medical Faculty, Skopje, Macedonia in 2016. Capillary blood samples were drawn and following hematologic parameters were measured: the red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit level (Hct) and hematological indexes: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean hemoglobin concentration (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW). RESULTS: RBC variables in male group showed high statistical level of significance between age different groups (P=0.001) for all studied parameters except MCHC (P=0.423) and RDW (P=0.174). ANOVA test and multivariate tests in female group showed that there was no significant difference for all hematological parameters between age different groups. Regarding the sex differences, male participants had significantly higher red blood count (P<0.001), hemoglobin content (P<0.001) and hematocrit (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Hematological parameters in adolescent as inhomogeneous population are not quantified sufficiently, especially hematological indices. RBC variables, regardless of the age, differ very much between male and female examinees, in favor of the male examinees. Hematological indices were insignificantly higher in males. Regarding the age of examinees, RBC variables showed significant inter-groups differences only within male adolescents. While with girls, ages span 8 to 18 yr, we did not find significant differences for most of the hematological variables.

The prevalence of high anxiety and substance use in university students in the Republic of Macedonia.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of high anxiety and substance use among university students in the Republic of Macedonia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample comprised 742 students, aged 18-22 years, who attended the first (188 students) and second year studies at the Medical Faculty (257), Faculty of Dentistry (242), and Faculty of Law (55) within Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. As a psychometric test the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used. It is a self-rating questionnaire used for measuring the severity of anxiety. A psychiatric interview was performed with students with BAI scores > 25. A self-administered questionnaire consisted of questions on the habits of substance (alcohol, nicotine, sedative-hypnotics, and illicit drugs) use and abuse was also used. For statistical evaluation Statistica 7 software was used. RESULTS: The highest mean BAI scores were obtained by first year medical students (16.8 ± 9.8). Fifteen percent of all students and 20% of first year medical students showed high levels of anxiety. Law students showed the highest prevalence of substance use and abuse. CONCLUSION: High anxiety and substance use as maladaptive behaviours among university students are not systematically investigated in our country. The study showed that students show these types of unhealthy reactions, regardless of the curriculum of education. More attention should be paid to students in the early stages of their education. A student counselling service which offers mental health assistance needs to be established within University facilities in R. Macedonia alongside the existing services in our health system.

Anthropometric parameters in national footballers in the Republic of Macedonia.

OBJECTIVES: The focus of this study is on anthropometric characteristics of footballers in the Republic of Macedonia, and the aim is to provide normative data for selected anthropometric parameters for adult male footballers in our country. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study included eight hundred (800) adult male footballers, aged 24.06 ± 4.8y (age range 18-35y), who have undertaken routine sport medical examinations over a ten-year period. The football players were divided into six age - specific subgroups ("up to 20"; "up to 22"; "up to 24"; "up to 26"; "up to 28" and "over 28" years). Anthropometric measurements were made by Matiegka's protocols and body composition components were determined. RESULTS: Average values of body height (178.8 ± 6.7 cm), body weight (77.72 ± 7.9 kg), lean body mass (66.21 ± 6.36 kg), body components ( MM% = 53.04; BM% = 17.15; FM% = 14.7%) and a large series of anthropometric measurements which define the footballers' anthropometric dimensions were obtained. The distribution of the adipose tissue regarding the body and limbs showed that the skinfolds were thickest on the lower limbs and thinnest on the arms. CONCLUSIONS: The adult football players in Republic of Macedonia were insignificantly variable in height and body mass from their counter parts from European and American teams. The football players up to 20 year, who played in the senior national football league were lighter and smaller than their older colleagues. The football players aged from 20 to 35 years were insignificantly variable in height, body mass, and anthropometric dimensions of limbs and trunk.

Analysis of body mass components in national club football players in Republic of Macedonia.

AIM: This study aims to analyze body composition in adult male football players and its changes during adulthood. METHODS: Adult male football players (n = 942, mean age 24.11 +/- 4.69 y), all members of national competitive clubs from Macedonia were included in the study. The absolute and the relative body components were calculated: lean body mass (LBMkg), muscle mass (MMkg; MM%), bone mass (BMkg; BM%) and fat components (FMkg; FM%), using the anthropometric protocol by Matiegka. RESULTS: Mean values of anthropometric measures for all included participants were as follows: height = 178.39 +/- 6.11 cm; weight = 77.02 +/- 7.57; LBM = 65.65 +/- 6.38; MM% = 53.23 +/- 2.78; BM% = 17.05 +/- 1.27; FM% = 14.58 +/- 1.48. Descriptive statistics for these parameters was made for age specific groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained could be used as reference values for adult football players in Republic of Macedonia. In the examined age span (18-35 years) a slight increase of absolute values of all three body components has been registered with advancing age. The most significant increase in the absolute values was registered for the muscle component, followed by the fat and bone components, respectively. Regarding the relative values (%), the muscle and the fat components showed an equally slight positive correlation with the age increase of 1 year, whilst the bone component decreased with advancing age.

Analysis of body mass components in national club football players in republic of macedonia.

AIM: This study aims to analyze body composition in adult male football players and its changes during adulthood. METHODS: Adult male football players (n=942, mean age 24.11 ±4.69y), all members of national competitive clubs from Macedonia were included in the study. The absolute and the relative body components were calculated: lean body mass (LBMkg), muscle mass (MMkg; MM%), bone mass (BMkg; BM%) and fat components (FMkg; FM%), using the anthropometric protocol by Matiegka. RESULTS: Mean values of anthropometric measures for all included participants were as follows: height=178.39±6.11cm; weight=77.02±7.57; LBM=65.65±6.38; MM%=53.23±2.78; BM%=17.05±1.27; FM%=14.58±1.48. Descriptive statistics for these parameters was made for age specific groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained could be used as reference values for adult football players in Republic of Macedonia. In the examined age span (18-35 years) a slight increase of absolute values of all three body components has been registered with advancing age. The most significant increase in the absolute values was registered for the muscle component, followed by the fat and bone components, respectively. Regarding the relative values (%), the muscle and the fat components showed an equally slight positive correlation with the age increase of 1 year, whilst the bone component decreased with advancing age.

Electrophysiological assessment of cognitive processes in young healthy adults with different level of physical activity.

AIM: Physical activity has been promoted as a factor that has beneficial influence on brain functions, including cognition. The aim of this study was to detect whether subjects with different levels of physical activity (PA) have different electrophysiological response during cognitive paradigm that includes the processes of expectation, attention and learning. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 100 subjects, aged between 17 and 28 years, who were divided into three groups according to the level of general physical activity: with low, moderate and high level of PA. Electroexpectogram (EXG) paradigm is a dynamic CNV paradigm in which the registered evoked potential is a neurophysiological measure of the level of attention and cognitive performance during the paradigm. Parameters derived from these tests are the general EXG parameters that refer to the entire paradigm (number of EXG cycles, maximal and minimal amplitude of the CNV potential and reaction time) and specific EXG parameters that refer to the characteristics of each and every EXG cycle, their amplitude and duration (expressed in number of trials). RESULTS: Subjects with high and moderate level of PA created EXG curves with a greater number of cycles than subjects with a low level of PA. The mean value of the number of created EXG cycles (Low PA = 2.27; moderate PA = 2.73; high PA = 3.8) and maximal amplitude of CNV (Low PA = 9.42 microV; moderate PA = 10.3 microV; high PA = 10.43 microV) was not statistically significant in subjects with different level of PA. The participants with a high and a moderate level of PA showed a distinct tendency of decreasing the dimensions of the EXG cycles: after the long and high first cycle, all subsequent cycles gradually shortened in duration (number of trials) and in height (CNV amplitude). The results of this investigation have emphasized the specific EXG parameters as sensitive indices for successful cognitive adaptation in a dynamic electrophysiological setting created by the EXG paradigm.

Psychomotor speed in young adults with different level of physical activity.

AIM: This paper presents the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in young adults. We set a hypothesis that there might be a relationship between the level of physical activity and psychomotor response on the Trial Making Test (TMT). Physical exercise influences on many aspects of cognitive functioning and has a huge effect on the general mental health. The benefits of exercise are best defined in the field of learning, memorizing of executive functions, protection from neurodegenerative changes and onset of depression. METHODS: This investigation included 90 healthy subjects with mean age of 21.2 years, range from 16 to 35 years, divided into three groups according to the level of physical activity: low, moderate and high. Each group consisted of 30 subjects, adjusted by gender, age and level of education. TMT was applied and it assessed visual conceptual abilities and visual motor tracking. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed a significant difference of the TMT results between the examined groups. Subjects in the group with a low level of physical activity required a longer time to finish both parts of the test (TMT A = 31.98 4 10.14; TMT B = 79.70 4 22.33) than subjects in the group with a moderate level of physical activity (26.3749.45; 68.23 4 22.39). Time necessary for completion of the test in the group with a moderate level of physical activity was longer (25.30 4 5.12; 60.67 4 14.24) than in athletes but without a statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The results obtained support the hypothesis that physical activity can have a positive impact on psychomotor abilities in young adults.