Z-score reference values for height in Turkish children aged 6 to 18 years

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Human growth and development
• Biostatistics in health sciences

Background:

• Standard deviation (Z-score) charts are increasingly preferred over percentile charts for assessing pediatric growth, especially for measurements outside normal ranges.
• Previous growth data for Istanbul children were published as percentiles.
• Z-score charts provide a more sensitive tool for monitoring growth deviations in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish Z-score reference tables for height and weight in Istanbul children aged 6-18 years.
• To present data on the secular trend of height in Turkish children.
• To provide updated growth references for clinical and research use.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of height and weight measurements from 1100 boys and 1020 girls (aged 6-18 years) from well-to-do families in Istanbul.
• Data collected through biannual school visits, with measurements taken by trained technicians.
• LMS method employed for analysis, with results expressed as Z-score values for age.

Main Results:

• Height measurements for both boys and girls across all age groups closely align with updated USA growth references.
• An upward trend in height was observed compared to previous data on Turkish children.
• Weight data also indicated growth patterns consistent with established references.

Conclusions:

• Height growth in affluent Turkish school-aged children aligns with updated USA growth data, indicating a secular trend.
• The findings underscore the necessity of periodically updating local growth data to reflect current population trends.
• Z-score reference data are crucial for accurate assessment of child growth in the Turkish population.