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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to cross-validate the Beunen–Malina method for non-invasive prediction of adult height. Three hundred and eight boys aged 13, 14, 15 and 16 years from the Madeira Growth Study were observed at annual intervals in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and re-measured 7–8 years later. Height, sitting height and the triceps and subscapular skinfolds were measured; skeletal age was assessed using the Tanner–Whitehouse 2 method. Adult height was measured and predicted using the Beunen–Malina method. Maturity groups were classified using relative skeletal age (skeletal age minus chronological age). Pearson correlations, mean differences and standard errors of estimate (SEE) were calculated. Age-specific correlations between predicted and measured adult height vary between 0.70 and 0.85, while age-specific SEE varies between 3.3 and 4.7 cm. The correlations and SEE are similar to those obtained in the development of the original Beunen–Malina method. The Beunen–Malina method is a valid method to predict adult height in adolescent boys and can be used in European populations or populations from European ancestry. Percentage of predicted adult height is a non-invasive valid method to assess biological maturity.
Acknowledgements
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.
Role of the sponsors
The role of the sponsors in the different study periods was to approve the project and to provide financial support. They had no role in the design and planning of the study, data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation, review or approval of the manuscript.
Disclosure
Financial disclosures: none. The contents of this manuscript are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
Declaration of interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.