[New methodological approach to hygienic audit of learning and upbringing environment for children in educational institutions].

A methodical approach to the hygienic assessment of the educational environment in children's educational institutions was developed and tested for the objective determination of the level ofsanitary and epidemiological welfare and effective planning of preventive measures with bearing in mind environmental factors which have the most negative impact on children's health.

[The specific features of present-day children's physical development in the estimation of the functional sizes of furniture for pupils].

The authors made mass anthropometric surveys in 923 first-to-fourth-form pupils and determined the values of 5 variables for height groups 2, 3, and 4, used to justify the functional sizes of furniture for pupils: the length of a shoulder slope above the seat, that of an elbow slope above the seat, that of a popliteal space slope above the floor, the distance from the chair hack to the popliteal space, and the highest pelvic width. Differences were found in the anthropometric values in the present-day junior pupils and the equals in age of the early 1970s. The present-day children are characterized by changes in body proportions (a decrease in height and an increase in the length of the shin and femur), which should be kept in mind on optimizing the working place of pupils. It is suggested that popliteal space length rather than the currently applied height should be used as a fitting ratio of anthropometric characteristics to the functional sizes of furniture for pupils.

[Hygienic requirements for the sizes of furniture for junior pupils].

The paper gives the results of anthropometric surveys in present-day junior pupils. It shows the distribution of junior pupils by the height groups and the ergonomic signs that determine the required functional sizes of furniture for pupils.