Secular growth changes in body height and weight in children and adolescents in Shandong, China between 1939 and 2000.
BACKGROUND
There is strong evidence of a positive secular trend in physical growth in most of the world during the last century. However, no studies on this trend have been reported in Shandong Province, China.


OBJECTIVE
The study assessed the secular trend in body height and weight in Shandong Province during the past few decades and the association of socio-economic status with the intensity of the trend.


METHODS
The results of height and weight in 7-18-year-old boys and girls obtained in nine subsequent surveys (1939, 1956, 1962, 1972, 1979, 1985, 1991, 1995, and 2000) were included in this analysis. The differences of mean values between surveys and the increments per decade were compared. Socio-economic indicators were collected and analysed.


RESULTS
In 18-year-old groups, mean height increased from 164.9 to 172.6 cm for boys and from 155.9 to 160.6 cm for girls, corresponding to 1.75 and 1.07 cm per decade, respectively, and the increments of weight were 7.5 kg for boys and 0.3 kg for girls, corresponding to 1.70 and 0.07 kg per decade, respectively, between 1956 and 2000. The biggest changes of physical growth were in 13-year-old boys and 11-year-old girls.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive secular trends occurred in 7-18-year-old children and adolescents in Shandong Province, China during 1939-2000, which may reflect the secular changes in socio-economic status.
Zhen-Wang
Bi
B
Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China. bizwjn@yahoo.com
Cheng-Ye
Ji
J
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002681:China; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors