The influence of the integration and rehabilitation program on the peculiarities of the formation of the vegetative balance of younger schoolchildren affected by military operations

BACKGROUND: There is little information concerning the health parameters of children who are in the conditions of military hostilities.

AIM: The aim of the study is to develop and study the impact of a comprehensive integration and rehabilitation program on heart rate variability in primary school children who have experienced the stress of military operations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 128 children of primary school age who found themselves in the zone of active hostilities were under observation. The comparison group consisted of 68 children who lived in territories where military operations were not carried out. The assessment of vegetative functions was carried out according to the indicators of the analysis of temporal and spectral indicators of heart rate variability using the hardware and software complex Poly-Spectrum-12.

RESULTS: The power of the “very” low-frequency component (VLF, ms²) of the spectrum in group I of children was also increased by 23.79% in comparison with the comparison group. The respiratory component (HF, ms²) of the general spectrum also had a statistical difference (25.27%) with the indicators of the comparison group at the time of the first study (p < 0.05) in the younger schoolchildren evacuated to Rostov-on-Don. Upon repeated examination, it was found that the indicators of mode and variation range increased in all subgroups, except for a subgroup of children who were in the combat zone and were not included in the comprehensive integration and rehabilitation program.

CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of spectral and temporal analysis of the heart rate, the vagosympathetic balance in younger schoolchildren who experienced the impact of the military operation in the Donbass Region reflects the activation of the sympathetic department of the autonomic nervous system. The developed comprehensive integration and rehabilitation program has shown its greatest effectiveness in children evacuated to Rostov-on-Don.