Subject(s)
Physical Exertion , Physical Fitness , Students , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Hypercholesterolemia/prevention & control , Male , Obesity/prevention & control , RiskABSTRACT
To identify the basis of growth failure, the background of preschool children whose growth fell below 97 per cent of their peers was compared with that of those who demonstrated a higher level of growth achievement. A questionnaire administered at the home of each child documented living conditions, health history, and other family characteristics. Families of the growth-retarded children had higher income, higher credit payments, and used higher dollar values of Food Stamps. A greater percentage of the growth-retarded children were low-birth-weight infants. However, neither low birth weight nor any other one factor consistently predicted poor growth achievement. The need for adequate growth standards to correctly diagnose achievement remains a primary need in the field of nutritional assessment.
Subject(s)
Growth Disorders/etiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Birth Weight , Black People , Body Height , Body Weight , Child , Child Health Services , Child Rearing , Child, Preschool , Family Characteristics , Female , Growth Disorders/prevention & control , Humans , Infant , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Infant, Newborn , Male , Maternal Age , Michigan , Pregnancy , Socioeconomic Factors , White PeopleABSTRACT
Measurements of height and weight were collected on 1,233 Black and white infants and children attending a Child Health Clinic in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Polynomial curves were fitted to each race and sex group and, from these, estimates were made of the 3rd, 50th, and 97th percentiles for height and weight. Blacks tended to be lighter and shorter than whites in early infancy. In the second year of life, Blacks tended to exceed whites in height and weight achievement. For infants and children in the 97th percentile this change in status occurred earlier. The differences in weight and height achievement were statistically significant in the two race groups, but not between sexes. The percentile estimates differed significantly from the percentiles of local as well as the "Iowa," "Harvard," and "Tanner" (United Kingdom) standards. Differences in the racial and environmental background of the clinic population and the samples used in the development of the national standards probably accounts for the variations in the percentile estimates. It is concluded that race- and sex-specific standards are required before growth achievements in infants and children can be properly evaluated.
