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.

Standard Index Development for Comparing the Glomerular Number / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: The number of glomerulus has been considered one of the etiologic factors especially for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. However. glomeruli are too many to calculate them correctly. Although the fractionator method has became convinced, in which they used selected sections, not whole kidney sections, with same intervals, it is also very hard to get good results. Because it is still very time-consuming and laborous work which leads to make big observers' biases. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We designed the index for glomerular number to estimate the tendency of increase or decrease of the number of it in different kidneys and which was evaluated by other conventional methods including fractionator method. Index was based upon the theory by 1\yengaard: "the number of glomerulus correlates with the weight of kidney, which is positively correlated with body weight". Calculating formula is the number of glomeruli/surface areas of cortices which contain calculated glomeruli multiplies by kidney weight/body weight. RESULTS: We applied this index to kidneys of FGS/Kist mouse and those of RFM/ Nga mouse. The former is spontaneous glomerulosclerosis modelwith heavy protein uria and renal failure and the latter is the mother side of FGS/Kist mouse but has no glomerular disease or protein uria. The number of glomerulus of FGS/Kist mouse was decreased by 30% to those of RFM/Nga mouse. CONCLUSION: This index was useful and reliable for estimating the relative glomerular number between two groups.