[Main trends in the physical development of young children].

The physical development ofjunior schoolchildren living in Ufa, a large industrial town, was studied. The findings were compared with the data of the 1946-1947, 1972, and 1998 studies of physical development. Analysis of the materials indicated that the accelerating processes among young children continued till the end of the previous century, the maximum change in anthropometric indices being observed in the period of 1947 to 1972. In the past years, there has been a gradual decrease in the average values of length in junior schoolchildren and there has been a tendency for body weight and chest circumference to decrease.