Physical growth assessment in adolescence

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Human Growth and Development
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Accurate anthropometric data is crucial for assessing adolescent health.
• Ponderosity indices like BMI and skinfold thicknesses are key indicators of body composition.
• Understanding variations in these indices relative to sexual maturity is vital for Indian adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document ponderosity indices (BMI, PI) and skinfold thicknesses (triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac) in affluent Indian school-going adolescents.
• To analyze these measurements in relation to sexual maturity.
• To provide reference data for assessing growth and nutritional status.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Measurements collected from a large cohort of healthy, affluent Indian school-going adolescents (11,863 boys, 7,694 girls) across 12 cities.
• Analysis of means and percentiles of ponderosity indices and skinfold thicknesses by age and sexual maturity rating.

Main Results:

• Girls exhibited higher BMI, PI, and skinfold thickness (SFT) compared to boys.
• Variability in these parameters was lower when assessed against sexual maturity rating versus chronological age.
• Sexual maturity rating demonstrated a more consistent relationship with anthropometric indices.

Conclusions:

• BMI, PI, and SFT data, analyzed in conjunction with sexual maturity, can aid pediatricians and endocrinologists.
• These indices are valuable tools for assessing thinness and obesity in Indian adolescent populations.
• The findings support the use of maturity-based assessment for adolescent growth evaluation.