Age changes in some somatometric characters of the Assamese Muslims of Kamrup district, Assam

Assessment of the nutritional status of children aged 5-12 years using upper arm composition

BACKGROUND

Upper arm muscle area (UMA) and upper arm fat area (UFA) were introduced for assessment of child nutritional status.

AIM

This cross-sectional study assesses child nutritional status using UMA and UFA. It also evaluates the suitability of upper arm muscle area by height (UAMAH) for assessing child under-nutrition with respect to stunting and wasting.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study was conducted among 1248 children (619 boys; 629 girls) aged 5-12 years belonging to the Bengalee Muslim Population of West Bengal, India. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference and triceps skin-fold were recorded. Nutritional status was assessed using UMA, UFA and UAMAH. Percentile curves were derived using the least median square method.

RESULTS

Mean age specific values of UMA, UFA and UAMAH of boys and girls were markedly below the 5th percentile. Using UAMAH, a very high proportion of children (boys, 91.28%; girls, 88.55%) were found to be under-nourished. Prevalence of stunting (boys, 39.74%; girls, 41.49%) and wasting (boys, 19.55%; girls, 15.74%) were also found to be high.

CONCLUSION

The combination of UMA, UFA, UAMAH and conventional nutritional indices appear to be useful for assessment of child under-nutrition.

Height of young men

We analysed the height of young men in Belgium, using 613 257 records of medical examinations made prior to their conscription into the army (about 68% of the male population concerned). All analyses showed very significant associations. Height differed according to the region (-1.24cm in Wallonia, French-speaking and poorer) compared to Flanders (Dutch-speaking and richer), when "age-class" and year are taken into account. The smallest men lived in Hainaut (a deprived area), the tallest ones in Walloon Brabant (wealthy green suburbs of the capital). Height increased across time (+1.11cm, 1978-1990) and with "age-class" (+2.66cm, 18-26years), controlling for other factors. The increase in Brussels stops in 1983, probably due to other socio-demographic evolutions.

Effects of heterosis on growth in height and its segments: a cross-sectional study of the Khasi girls in Northeast India

BACKGROUND

It is generally believed that improvement in environmental quality is the main factor responsible for the better growth and nutritional status of children in developing countries. However, it is still not clear whether this better growth performance is also associated with heterosis and/or gene flow that may take place as a result of the geographical movement of individuals, or migration.

AIM

The present paper attempts to examine the effects of heterosis on physical growth of girls in height and its segments.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional sample of the Khasi girls of Shillong in Northeast India was considered in the present analysis. The height and sitting height of 1368 girls aged 3-18 years were measured with a Harpenden anthropometer, following standard techniques. The sample was divided into two groups, namely hybrid (HB) and non-hybrid (NHB) girls,in order to test the effects of heterosis using analysis of covariance with the household income as a covariate. The Preece-Baines model I (M. A. Preece and M. F. Baines, Annals of Human Biology, 5, 1-24, 1978) was used to fit the adjusted means of height and its segments with a view to assess the variation in adult height, age at peak velocity and size at peak velocity.

RESULTS

Both HB and NHB girls were similar in age at maximum increment for height(12 years) and sitting height (13 years), although it was much earlier in the former(10.5 years) than in the latter (11.9 years) with respect to subischial length. The results indicated that HB girls were larger than NHB girls across ages. Such a higher anthropometric status in HB girls was mainly due to their higher growth velocities before the adolescent period. The effect of heterosis after household income was highly significant at many ages from 6 to 18 years, although it was not clearly perceptible in the case of subischial length.

CONCLUSION

Subject to further studies, the role of heterosis and/or gene flow in influencing growth and development of children cannot be completely ruled out, especially after 5 years of age when the variation in growth patterns is likely to be associated not only with environmental quality but also with genetic mechanisms.

The National Center for Health Statistics reference and the growth of Indian adolescent boys

BACKGROUND

Few studies describing the growth of adolescents exist because of the difficulties in interpreting anthropometric data in this age group.

OBJECTIVE

We describe the growth of adolescent boys from West Bengal, India, and assess the adequacy of using the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference data.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional anthropometric survey was conducted in 818 Bengali boys from middle-class families. Anthropometric measurements were taken on each subject's birthday (+/-3 d) by use of standard measuring techniques. The NCHS reference data on height and body mass index (BMI) were used to estimate age-specific prevalences of stunting, thinness, and overweight. BMI was also assessed by using British, Dutch, and French reference data. The biological parameters of the adolescent growth spurt were estimated by using the Preece-Baines growth model.

RESULTS

With use of the 5th percentile of the NCHS reference data, the prevalence of thinness was approximately 5 times (50.5%) that of stunting (11.2%). The median curves of the 3 European references lay between the Indian and NCHS samples and also yielded high prevalences of thinness when applied to the study sample. The prevalence of being at risk of overweight was low (4.2%). Mean age at peak height velocity was 13.0 y and peak height velocity was 7.0 cm/y.

CONCLUSIONS

The NCHS reference data seem inadequate for this sample. Consideration should be given to developing appropriate reference data based on healthy adolescent populations from different ethnic groups. Issues of maturation-related variation in assessing growth during adolescence should be given particular attention.