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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
The effect of variability in maturational tempo and midparent height on variability in linear body measurements
Luciano Molinari1, Michael Hermanussen
1Abteilung Wachstum und Entwicklung, Universitätskinderklinik, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland. luciano.molinari@kispi.unizh.ch
Background:
Information on the effect of variability in maturational tempo on variability in height attained at the same age is not readily available.
Aim:
The study obtained this information from the data of the First Zurich Longitudinal Study.
Subjects And Methods:
Yearly measurements of standing height, sitting height and leg length, yearly assessments of bone age (RUS (Radius, Ulna and Short bones), TW3 method) and midparent height for 232 children from the First Zurich Longitudinal Growth Study are included in a correlational analysis.
Results:
The course of the squared correlations of standing height, sitting height and leg length with attained RUS bone age, midparent height and both as a function of age are presented.
Conclusions:
During puberty, up to 50% of the height variation in boys and 40% in girls is explained by maturational tempo.
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