Original scientific paper
Gender-Specific Growth Patterns for Stature, Sitting Height and Limbs Length in Croatian Children and Youth (3 to 18 Years of Age)
Miroslav Živičnjak
Nina Smolej Narančić
Lajos Szirovicza
Doris Franke
Jasna Hrenović
Vesna Bišof
Abstract
In a cross-sectional study of growth, 5,155 children (2,591 females, 2,564 males)
from the town of Zagreb (Croatia) were measured. Four traits of linear dimensionality
(stature, sitting height, arm and leg lengths) were studied in the age span of 3 to 18
years. A significant average annual increase of all four anthropometric parameters were
observed up to 14 and 15 years of age in girls and 16 years of age in boys, showing that
girls had a shorter growing period. In the prepubertal period until 9 years of age, gender
differences were negligible. At the age of 10, boys were overgrown by girls in all parameters
due to the earlier onset of puberty in girls. The growth gains for girls, when compared
with those for boys, show a different pattern across variables. The female growth
advantage remained in a two years period for the limbs length, but in a three year period
for stature and the longest, for 4 years, for sitting height. The male predominance
in size had an onset at the age of 13 for the limbs and in the age of 14 for stature and sitting
height. The patterns of sexual dimorphism in stature and sitting height during
growing years are similar to those observed in other populations of Europe. Growth of
Croatian children and youth is very similar to that of the tallest European populations.
Keywords
children; growth patterns; gender; morphology; anthropometry; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
28109
URI
Publication date:
16.6.2003.
Visits: 4.721 *