title: [Weight and height local growth charts of Algerian children and adolescents (6-18 years of age)].
abstract: Measurements of height and weight provide important information on growth and development, puberty, and nutritional status in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to develop contemporary reference growth centiles for Algerian children and adolescents (6-18 years of age). A cross-sectional growth survey was conducted in government schools on 7772 healthy schoolchildren (45.1% boys and 54.9% girls) aged 6-18 years in Constantine (eastern Algeria) in 2008. Height and weight were measured with portable stadiometers and calibrated scales, respectively. Smooth reference curves of height and weight were estimated with the LMS method. These height and weight curves are presented together with local data from Arab countries and with the growth references of France, Belgium (Flanders), and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007. In girls, median height and weight increased until 16 and 17 years of age, respectively, whereas in boys, they increased through age 18 years. Between ages 11 and 13 years (puberty), girls were taller and heavier than boys. After puberty, boys became taller than girls, by up to 13 cm by the age of 18 years. Median height and weight of Algerian boys and girls were generally intermediate between those observed in other Arab countries. They were higher than the French reference values up to the age of 13 years and lower than Belgian and WHO reference values at all ages. The present study provides Algerian height- and weight-for-age growth charts, which should be recommended as a national reference for monitoring growth and development in children and adolescents.
authors: INATAA, université des Frères-Mentouri, route de Aïn El Bey, 25000 Constantine, Algérie. Electronic address: Bahchachi-nora@inataa.org.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Bahchachi
authors: ALNUTS-Lab, INATAA, université des Frères-Mentouri, Constantine, Algérie.
authors: C C
authors: CC
authors: Dahel-Mekhancha
authors: Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, centre de recherche en épidémiologie et statistiques, université Paris 13, équipe de recherche en épidémiologie nutritionnelle, 93017 Bobigny, France.
authors: M F
authors: MF
authors: Rolland-Cachera
authors: ALNUTS-Lab, INATAA, université des Frères-Mentouri, Constantine, Algérie.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Badis
authors: Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgique.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Roelants
authors: Laboratory of Anthropogenetics, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgique.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Hauspie
authors: ALNUTS-Lab, faculté de médecine, université Constantine 3, Rabah Bitat, Constantine, Algérie.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Nezzal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000462:Algeria; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values