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Research Papers

Short-term secular change in height, body mass and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 skeletal maturity of Madeira youth, Portugal

, , , , , , , & show all
Pages 195-205 | Received 21 Nov 2011, Accepted 06 Mar 2012, Published online: 18 Apr 2012
 

Abstract

Background: Secular trends in height and weight are reasonably well documented in Europe. Corresponding observations for skeletal maturation are lacking.

Aim: To assess secular trends in height, body mass and skeletal maturity of Portuguese children and adolescents and to provide updated reference values for skeletal maturity scores (SMSs).

Subjects and methods: Data for 2856 children and adolescents of 4–17 years, 1412 boys and 1444 girls, from The ‘Madeira Growth Study’ (MGS; 1996–1998) and from the‘Healthy Growth of Madeira Children Study’ (CRES; 2006) were used. Height and body mass were measured. Skeletal maturity was assessed with the Tanner-Whitehouse 2 and 3 methods.

Results: Children from CRES were taller and heavier than peers from MGS. Differences in height reached 5.8 cm in boys and 5.5 cm in girls. RUS SMSs did not differ consistently between surveys boys, while higher RUS scores were observed in CRES girls. Adult RUS SMSs for MGS and CRES combined were attained at 15.8 years in boys and 14.8 years in girls. Corresponding ages for adult Carpal SMSs were 14.4 and 14.0, respectively.

Conclusion: The short-term trends for height and mass were not entirely consistent with the trends in RUS and Carpal SMSs and SAs.

Acknowledgements

We would like to greatly acknowledge the supervision and assistance of Professor Emeritus Gaston Beunen of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, who assisted in the data analysis and contributed significantly to the quality of the manuscript in its early stages. Gaston unexpectedly passed away in August of 2011. Thanks are extended to Dr Huiqi Pan from the Institute of Child Health, University College London who helped us in fitting the RUS and Carpal skeletal maturity centiles. The Madeira Growth Study was co-sponsored by the POP-RAM II and III, within the scope of the European Social Funds, via CITMA and the Professional Qualification Centre.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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