Questionnaire-based analysis of growth-promoting attempts among children visiting a university growth clinic / 소아과
Korean Journal of Pediatrics
;
: 576-580, 2009.
Article
in Korean
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-143338
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Growth-promoting attempts are widespread in Korea, but little is known about their prevalence or associated factors. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of growth-promoting attempts among children visiting a university growth clinic.METHODS:
A questionnaire-based survey was carried out with 823 children (416 boys, 407 girls) who visited the growth clinic at Paik Hospital.RESULTS:
The mean age of the subjects was 10.4+/-2.6 yr, and the height z-score was -1.58+/-0.91. Approximately 33.4% of the children had tried growth promotion. Among the height-gain methods, herbal medicine was the most frequently used (37.8%), followed by health-promoting supplements (37.1%), exercise or machine (3.0%), and growth hormone treatment (2.9%). The mean age at which the parents began to worry about their children's height was 7.7 yr. The mean age at which they started height-gain methods was 8.9 yr for herbal medicine, 9.1 yr for health-promoting supplements, 9.4 yr for exercise or machine, and 9.9 yr for growth hormone treatment. Motivating factors included advice from relatives or friends (36.0%), advertisements in the Internet or newspaper (28.4%), advice from pharmacist (16.8%), and advice from their medical doctor (5.5%). The degree of satisfaction from the height-gain methods was 29.1% with growth hormone treatment, 6.6% with exercise or machine, 6.4% with herbal medicine, and 2.8% with growth-promoting supplements.CONCLUSION:
Approximately one third of the children reported use of growth-promoting methods, but the satisfaction rate was not high. The benefits of growth-promoting methods should be carefully weighed against their costs and side effects.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Parents
/
Pharmacists
/
Growth Hormone
/
Prevalence
/
Periodical
/
Internet
/
Herbal Medicine
/
Friends
/
Korea
Type of study:
Prevalence study
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
Korean
Journal:
Korean Journal of Pediatrics
Year:
2009
Type:
Article
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