October - December 2012, Volume 8, Issue 4

Emandi AC, Gafencu M, Pienar C

Impact of increased body mass on growth patterns in school children

Acta Endo (Buc) 2012, 8 (4): 551-563
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2012.551

The increase in prevalence of obesity in children is well known worldwide, with important implications for health.\r\nAim. To evaluate the growth patterns of normal weight, overweight, obese and underweight schoolchildren from western Romania, in order to understand how body mass is related to height gain.\r\nMaterial and method. A total of 3626 children aged 7-18 years, were examinated, between February 2010-June 2011. Children were classified as normal weight, underweight, overweight and obese, using IOTF criteria.\r\nResults. We present the growth curves in regard to BMI class and the comparison of the 50th percentile of each BMI class, in boys and girls separately. The period of significant height difference/year at the 50th percentile for each BMI class indicates that overweight and obese boys have important height gain between 11-14 years, while for underweight boys it is constant between 11-18 years. In overweight and obese girls, an important height difference/year is observed between 7-11 years, while in underweight group it is seen between 10-13 years.\r\nConclusions. In boys, increased BMI leads to taller young stature, delayed growth spurt, but similar height at age of 18 years, while in the underweight group we observed a prolonged growth spurt with increased height at 18 years. Increased BMI, in girls, resulted in early growth spurt and similar height at 18 years when compared to normal weight peers. Final height was independent of BMI in both girls and boys.

Keywords: body mass, school-children, growth pattern

Correspondence: Adela Chirita Emandi M.D., "Louis Turcanu" Emergency Hospital for Children, Endocrinology,Str. Iosif Nemoianu nr. 2-4, Timisoara, 300011,Romania,E-mail: adela.chirita@yahoo.com