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Nationwide reference data for height, weight and body mass index of Indian schoolchildren

Raman Kumar Marwaha1, Nikhil Tandon, Mohd Ashraf Ganie

  • 1Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Timarpur, Delhi 110007, India. marwaha_ramank@hotmail.com

The National Medical Journal of India
|June 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study developed new growth charts for Indian children aged 5-18, revealing significant increases in weight and BMI compared to previous data. The findings suggest updated reference standards are needed for monitoring child growth in India.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Anthropometry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Accurate growth assessment is vital for child healthcare.
  • Existing growth monitoring relies on reference data.
  • This study addresses the need for updated Indian child growth standards.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) in Indian schoolchildren.
  • To develop gender-appropriate growth charts for ages 5-18 years.
  • To establish current reference data for Indian child growth.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional evaluation of anthropometric parameters in 106,843 Indian schoolchildren (ages 3-18).
  • Data collected from fee-paying and non-fee paying schools across four Indian regions.
  • Lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method used to generate normative charts from upper socioeconomic strata data.

Main Results:

  • Height percentiles were higher than previous Indian data but lower than WHO 2007 standards.
  • Weight and BMI percentiles showed a significant rising trend in both boys and girls.
  • Median weight was approximately 4 kg higher than two decades prior for affluent Indian children.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights secular trends in height, weight, and BMI among Indian schoolchildren.
  • The developed height and weight percentiles can serve as new reference standards for India.
  • Updated growth charts are crucial for accurate child growth monitoring.

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