The age at which adult height is achieved during adolescence in the ‘Birth to Twenty Cohort’, Johannesburg, South Africa
Date
2020
Authors
Ngcobo, P N
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Abstract
Background: Child growth is a sensitive indicator of socio-economic and health conditions in society. Positive secular change in height highlights improvements in these conditions. Objectives: To establish the age at which linear growth plateaus and to compare the age of growth cessation and the achieved adult height between sexes and racial groups in South Africa. To compare ‘Bone Health Cohort’ data with previous similar studies to ascertain the secular trend. Methods: We analysed prospective data of 569 individuals who had annual anthropometric assessments from age 9 until 20 years (1999 to 2010). The Super Imposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR) statistical programme was used to model height and age at growth cessation. Results: There was a total of 183 black females, 93 white females, 205 black males and 88 white males. Black and white females achieved adult height at a similar age (15.1 and 15.3 years), but black females were 5.7 cm shorter. Black and white males achieved their adult height at 17.5 and 16.5 years respectively, black males being 4.6 cm shorter. Mean adult black male height is now 170.7 cm versus 166.9 cm in 1971, while there was no significant secular changes in the other groups. Conclusions: There has been a positive secular growth trend in height over 30 years among black males, but no changes in the other groups
Description
The manuscript is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MMed( Paeds) degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, The Graduate Studies Committee and the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand approved this research, 2020