title: Growth of Zambian children.
abstract: A cross sectional study of 2,637 Zambian school children (1,220 boys and 1,417 girls) between the ages of six and eighteen years was carried out to observe growth patterns. Five anthropometric measurements were taken. It was noted that the growth spurt commenced at the age of nine years in girls. The accelerated growth continued until the age of fifteen years after which the rate of growth was very small. In boys, the growth spurt commenced a year later and continued until the age of seventeen years. Height was compared with that of the European and Ghanian children from London and Accra respectively. Although the growth patterns were similar, the Europeans were taller and the Ghanians were shorter than Zambians in this age group.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015024:Zambia