Factors Associated with Short Height in School-aged Children

BACKGROUND: With the increasing mean height of children, concerns about stature seem to grow in Korea. However, most studies regarding short stature were performed in developing countries where population were likely to be exposed to malnutrition and poor hygienic environments and factors associated with height were seldom studied in well-nourished population. METHODS: Study participants were 449 Korean boys and girls enrolled in 2nd or 6th grade of a primary school. Height and weight were measured by standardized method and a questionnaire asking eating habits, birth weight, feeding method, physical exercise, household income, and height of parents was self-administered to each child and their parents. We classified participants into two groups according to the distribution of their height (lower 25% or upper 75%) and evaluated the factors associated with the short height (lower 25%) using multiple linear logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In the analysis of the whole participants, short height of parents and normal body mass index were significantly associated with short height. Subgroup analysis stratified by gender and school grade showed that short height of father and normal body mass index, short height of mother, low household income, and not engaging in regular physical exercise were significantly associated with short height for 2nd grade boys, 6th grade boys, 2nd grade girls, and 6th grade girls, respectively. CONCLUSION: The factors associated with short height differed according to gender and school grades. In boys, parental height was significantly associated with and, in girls, environmental factors such as physical exercise or household income were significant factors of short stature.

Relationship between Body Mass Index and Perception of Body Image in School-aged Children

BACKGROUND: Body image, a personal perception of the body shape, is known to influence motive to control body weight. This study aimed to evaluate perception of body image according to the weight status in children. METHODS: The study participants were 442 Korean boys and girls enrolled in 2nd or 6th grade of a primary school. Heights and weights were measured by standardized method. Each child was asked to fill in a questionnaire asking about the factors which might be probably related to body image and to select a figure reflecting their current and ideal images among 7 drawings grading the extent of fatness. Weight status was classified using the age- and gender-specific cut-off points of the International Obesity Task Force based on the body mass index calculated. Chi-square test and multiple linear logistic regression test were performed. RESULTS: Among the subjects, 17% of the children were overweight, and 4.3% were obese. Among the overweight or obesity group, the children who chose figures corresponding to fatty body image were 4% and 32%, respectively, and the children who wanted to be thinner were 27% and 47%, respectively. Only the previous trial for weight reduction was independently associated with body image distortion defined as being satisfied with current body image in overweight or obese children. CONCLUSION: Safe and systematic efforts providing children with adequate body image perception would be needed to prevent and manage the obesity problem, especially for overweight or obese children who think their body images as normal or who were satisfied with their current body images.

Efficacy of Clozapine on Schizophrenia with Polydipsia: Two Cases Experience / 대한정신약물학회지

Polydipsia occurs frequently in chronic schizophrenic patients, some of whom develop hyponatremia. Although the underlying pathophysiology of polydipsia among psychiatric patients, recent reports indicate that clozapine treatment improves polydipsia-hyponatremia in schizophrenia. Two schizophrenic patients with polydipsia, followed for more than two years, showed improvement on clozapine. Case 1 was a patient without history of hyponatremia who improved from polydipsia and psychosis. Case 2 was an inpatient with polydipsia and hyponatremia who showed improvement of polydipsia and did nor recur hyponatremia. The limited information provided by these case reports suggest the need for controlled studies of the clozapine effect on schizophrenic patients with polydipsia.