[Growth standardized values and curves based on weight for length/height, body mass index for Chinese children under 7 years of age].
OBJECTIVE
To construct the growth standardized data and curves based on weight for length/height, body mass index (BMI) for Chinese children under the age of 7 years.


METHODS
The fourth national growth survey of children under 7 years of age in the nine cities of China was performed in 2005 and from this survey, data of the 69 622 urban healthy children were used to set up the database for weight for length/height (length was measured for children under 3 years of age) and BMI. Measurement data were ascribed to rigorous methods of data collection and standardized procedures across study sites. Models of weight for length/height and BMI were established by the LMS method, respectively; 0.7 cm was added to the height values (3 to 7 years), then weight for length/height were fitted by the single model, and after the model was fitted, the weight-for-length percentile curves in the length interval 65.7 to 125.7 cm were shifted back by 0.7 cm to derive the weight-for-height standards corresponding to the height range 65 cm to 125 cm. The BMI standards based on the length and height values were separately constructed by two sets of the LMS models. The height (3 to 7 years) data adding 0.7 cm was combined to the length (0 to 3 years) data, then the BMI-for-age standard based on length (0 to 3 years) was constructed. Analogously, BMI-for-age standard based on height was established. To test the goodness of fit of the model, chi(2) test for each sex and age was carried out.


RESULTS
Standardized values and curves based on percentiles and z-score for 45 - 105 cm weight-for-length, 65 - 125 cm weight for height, 0 to 3 years BMI-for-age based on length and 2 to 7 years BMI-for-age based on height were generated respectively. On the whole, the Chinese child growth charts was slightly higher than the new WHO child growth standards, and slightly lower than the 2000 CDC growth charts.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight-for-length/height and BMI-for-age growth charts newly established were national representative growth standards, so it was recommended as the Chinese child growth standards used in the whole country for child growth monitoring and nutritional evaluation.
D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values