Related Experiment Videos
Relationships among biological growth parameters for body weight in Japanese children
T Sumiya1, H Nakahara, T Shohoji
1Research Institute for Information Science and Education, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan.
Insights
This study analyzed longitudinal weight data from childhood to adulthood using growth curves. Adult weight showed complex correlations with adolescent timing and menarcheal age, suggesting nuanced biological relationships.
Area of Science:
- Human Growth and Development
- Biometrics
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Understanding human growth patterns, particularly weight trajectories from birth to adulthood, is crucial for assessing developmental health.
- Previous research has explored various growth models, but the interplay between adolescent growth spurts, menarche, and adult weight requires further detailed analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize individual body weight growth using the Count-Gompertz growth curve model.
- To present mean-constant growth curves for boys and girls, stratified by peak weight velocity and menarcheal weight.
- To investigate the relationships between adult weight, adolescent timing, menarcheal age, and age at growth completion.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal weight records from 360 boys and 345 girls, spanning from birth to young adulthood.
- Applied the Count-Gompertz growth curve model to fit individual growth records and characterize body weight growth.
- Conducted partial correlation analyses to examine relationships between adult weight, adolescent timing, menarcheal age, and growth completion age.
Main Results:
- Adult weight did not exhibit a simple direct relationship with the timing of adolescence or menarcheal age.
- A negative correlation was observed between adult weight and adolescent timing (or menarcheal age) when controlling for adolescent weight and/or age at growth completion.
- Age at growth completion was negatively correlated with menarcheal weight, given constant adult weight and menarcheal age.
Conclusions:
- The relationships among adult weight, adolescent development, and growth completion are complex and not easily explained by simple biological models.
- Partial correlation analysis reveals potentially useful, albeit intricate, associations between key biological parameters for researchers.
- Introduced and discussed the properties of a 'contra-pair' of biological parameters (age and weight) at different growth epochs.
Abstract:
Longitudinal weight records for 360 boys and 345 girls from birth to young adulthood are used. The Count-Gompertz growth curve is fitted to individual growth records in order to characterize individual body weight growth. The authors present the mean-constant growth curves of boys and girls divided by weight at the peak weight velocity for boys and girls, and also girls are subdivided by their weight at menarche. Adult weight has no simple relationship with the timing of adolescence and menarcheal age. Adult weight is, nevertheless, negatively correlated with the timing of adolescence (or menarcheal age) when weight at the timing of adolescence (or menarcheal weight) and/or age at growth completion are held constant. Age at growth completion also negatively correlated with weight at menarche when adult weight and menarcheal age are held constant. Even if it is difficult to find a simple biological relationship among these parameters, for researchers looking for relationships and structures among biological parameters, this partial correlation may be useful. A contra-pair of biological parameters, age and weight, at two growth epochs of weight is introduced, and its properties are discussed in detail.