THE SECULAR CHANGES IN ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASURES OF PRESCHOOL GIRLS IN THE PERIOD FROM 1998 - 2013

The goal of this study is to determine secular changes in anthropometric measures of preschool girls at the age of six over a period of fifteen years. The study sample consisted of 372 preschool girls. The measurements were carried out four times (in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013). The sample of variables consisted of eight anthropometric measures. For the purpose of establishing the differences in anthropometric characteristics between girls for which measurements were taken four times over the period of fifteen years, the ANOVA was used, with Bonferonni post-hoc test. The obtained results reflect the inharmonious trend of change in certain anthropometric characteristics, which were established for girls at preschool age, during the observed period of fifteen years. Statistically significant differences between the generations of girls were not found only in two variables: Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body weight. The results obtained, not only regarding secular trends, but also the absolute values of means for the relevant variables (e.g. BMI), indicate important practical implications.