Physical development of hearing impaired adolescents studying in educational institutions of the Moscow region

Objective: to assess the physical development of students with hearing impairment. Material and methods. The study includes 121 students in educational institutions in Moscow, 14–18 years old with disabilities (57 girls and 64 boys). Standard anthropometry and tools were used to assess body length and weight, BMI (according to regional standards and Dedov nomograms), muscle strength of the hands (dynamometry of the right/left hand with the calculation of the asymmetry coefficient) and vital capacity of the lungs (according to age standards). Results. Normal physical development is characteristic of less than 50% of those examined, with more than a third being overweight. Overweight is more often recorded among boys (especially at 14–18 years old – up to 38%), among girls – a deficit (up to 33% at 15 years old). The most pronounced fluctuations in BMI, including obesity (12-13%), were noted at the sensitive age of 15 years. Measurement of the muscular strength of the hands revealed a clear decrease in indicators below the average level in most students (58–69%) after 16 years. Although normal asymmetry of hand strength prevailed (50–100%), a significant part (up to 25% of girls, 12% of boys 15–18 years old) recorded a pronounced asymmetry. VC rates were predominantly above average (62–93%) in all groups except for girls 17–18 years of age. Conclusion. Significant deviations in the physical development of students with hearing impairment were revealed: overweight and weight deficiency, as well as a clear decrease in the muscle strength of the hands after 16 years.