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Reference body mass index curves for Turkish children 6 to 18 years of age

Ahmet Ozturk1, Mumtaz M Mazicioglu, Nihal Hatipoglu

  • 1Department of Biostatistics, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine,Kayseri, Turkey. ahmets67@hotmail.com

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|October 18, 2008
PubMed

Insights

This study established body mass index (BMI) reference curves for Turkish children aged 6-18. Turkish children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Anthropometry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Establishing accurate body mass index (BMI) reference curves is crucial for monitoring child growth and identifying weight status.
  • Existing BMI data for Turkish children may not accurately reflect current population-specific growth patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine reference body mass index (BMI) curves for Turkish children aged 6 to 18 years.
  • To compare these reference curves with those from other international populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kayseri, Turkey.
  • Data from 5,727 children (2,942 girls, 2,785 boys) aged 6-18 years were analyzed.
  • The LMS method was utilized to construct the BMI reference curves.

Main Results:

  • Reference body mass index (BMI) age charts for Turkish children were successfully developed.
  • The 50th percentile BMI curve for Turkish girls was found to be lower than Italian and Dutch Turkish girls, but higher than Iranian girls.
  • The 50th percentile BMI curve for Turkish boys was lower than Italian and Dutch Turkish boys, and similar to Iranian boys after age 13.

Conclusions:

  • Turkish children's BMI references are generally lower than populations in South East Europe, the UK, and North America.
  • However, Turkish children's BMI references are higher compared to Central European and Scandinavian countries.
  • These findings highlight the need for country-specific BMI references in pediatric health assessments.
Abstract

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