Pubertal timing predicts leg length and childhood body mass index predicts sitting height in young adult men.

• OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of pubertal timing and childhood body mass index (BMI), both within normal range, on adult anthropometrics. STUDY DESIGN: Detailed growth charts were retrieved for the men participating in the population-based Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants study. Age at peak height velocity and childhood BMI were calculated (n = 527), and anthropometric measurements were performed. RESULTS: Analysis of variance analysis of tertiles according to age at peak height velocity demonstrated that the early peak height velocity tertile had a lower adult height (180.9 +/- 6.8 cm) compared with the middle tertile group (182.7 +/- 6.9 cm, P < .05), and this difference was attributable to shorter leg length. No difference was seen for sitting height. In contrast, analysis of tertiles according to childhood BMI demonstrated low sitting height in the low BMI tertile (93.7 +/- 3.3 cm for low, 94.6 +/- 3.3, for middle, and 94.8 +/- 3.3 cm for high childhood BMI tertiles, P < .05 and P < .01, respectively), but childhood BMI did not affect adult height and leg length. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that subjects with early pubertal timing have reduced adult height and leg length, and subjects with low childhood BMI have reduced adult sitting height. Thus childhood body composition and pubertal timing have different impact on trunk growth and growth of long bones.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adolescent

Age Factors

Body Height

physiology

Body Mass Index

Case-Control Studies

Child

Child

Preschool

Growth

physiology

Humans

Infant

Leg Bones

growth & development

Longitudinal Studies

Male

Predictive Value of Tests

Puberty

physiology

Regression Analysis

Sweden

Young Adult

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)