title: Synthetic growth reference charts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reanalyze the between-population variance in height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), and to provide a globally applicable technique for generating synthetic growth reference charts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a baseline set of 196 female and 197 male growth studies published since 1831, common factors of height, weight, and BMI are extracted via Principal Components separately for height, weight, and BMI. Combining information from single growth studies and the common factors using in principle a Bayesian rationale allows for provision of completed reference charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The suggested approach can be used for generating synthetic growth reference charts with LMS values for height, weight, and BMI, from birth to maturity, from any limited set of height and weight measurements of a given population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generating synthetic growth reference charts by incorporating information from a large set of reference growth studies seems suitable for populations with no autochthonous references at hand yet.
authors.affiliation: Aschauhof, 24340, Altenhof, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermanussen
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stec
authors.affiliation: Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg, Chair of Statistics and Econometrics, Feldkirchenstr. 21, 96045, Bamberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aßmann
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Holbeinstr. 13-15, 53175, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meigen
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, TNO Prevention and Health, 2301 CE Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stef
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Buuren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male