T.I. Burtseva, M.G. Skalniy, N.V. Malisheva, O.I. Burlutskaya, O.O. Frolova

The problem of our research was carrying out a hygienic estimation of nutrition in children-s' and teenage population of the Orenburg region. For this purpose the estimation of individual food allowances of pupils was done according to questioning. In total, the research has involved 101 persons: 30 boys and 21 girls, constantly living in the Orenburg city, and 30 boys and 20 girls, living in the Sakmarsky district of the Orenburg region. All the observed children were in the age of 8-9 years. Questionnaires were filled by parents of the children. The questionnaires included three-day diets of the schoolboys. For the analysis of a daily average food allowance, the program «ASPON - pitanie» (1996) was used, which allowed analysis of a diet on 52 main nutrients (including vitamins, trace and macro elements). The obtained results of studying macro- and trace element composition of pupils - diets have allowed us to establish in the majority of the observed children the expressed insufficient body intake of such vital elements as calcium, selenium, zinc and iodine, and also of vitamins В9 and D. The estimation of the grocery sets shows insufficient consumption of the majority of product groups that led to insufficient intake of vitamin B9. The same is possible to be stated about calcium. So, deficiency of calcium intake is connected first of all with deficiency of dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, sour-milk products). And also the established low consumption of vitamin D promotes the development of calcium-deficient states in children that is especially dangerous during growth spurt. As a result of estimation of the trace elements contents in diets there was revealed the deficiency of iodine, selenium and zinc. All these elements are essential bioelements, vitally important for an organism. Thus, iodine is absolutely necessary for normal functioning of the thyroid gland which, in turn, is the central chain in endocrine exchange processes of a young organism. Lack of iodine in a diet is connected with scarce consumption of such sea products as shrimps, halibut, haddock, cod, seaweed, and also with low use of eggs, milk, beef liver. As known, the area of Orenburg is a part of the South-Ural selenium-deficient province that causes low contents of this element in soils, plants and drinking water. However, the low content of selenium in diets is connected also with low consumption of some products rich with selenium (garlic, lard, wheaten bran, ceps, seaweed). At the same time it is known, that deficiency of selenium is accompanied by infringement of liver functioning, decrease in immune protection of an organism, loss of hair and other deviations. The lowered level of zinc in diets, in our opinion, is connected with insufficient consumption of animal products (liver, beef, fish, eggs). Lack of zinc in an organism is manifested by numerous infringements, among which dysbacteriosis, inclination to allergies, decrease in resistance to cold-related diseases. Results of the research allow us to suggest that diets unbalanced in micronutrients can adversely affect physical development, academic progress and health of pupils, that is agreed with literary data.