Comparative analysis of physical development of 11 026 children aged 6 to 14 years in Yangzhou City with the national standard / 公共卫生与预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the growth and development of children aged 6 to 14 years in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and to provide a basis for the evaluation of the growth and development and health care of local children. Methods In November 2020, a stratified cluster sampling method was used to investigate the physical development of 11 026 children aged 6 to 14 years in 9 primary and middle schools in Yangzhou. The results were compared with the current national standards in China. Results The BMI levels of children of all ages from 6 to 14 years in Yangzhou were higher than the national levels (t=6.947~20.093, P＜0.01). The heights of boys and girls were relatively close at pre-school age (t=1.348, P=0.025). Boys were slightly taller than girls at the ages of 6 to 8 and 10 to 11 years. At the ages of 9 and 12, girls were slightly taller than boys. Adolescent boys were significantly taller than girls. (t=15.161, P＜0.01). Conclusion In Yangzhou City, the height and weight development of students aged 6-14 years conform to the general growth and development trend, and their BMI is generally higher than the national average level.