Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 3, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

13.5K

Environmental and birth characteristics as predictors of short stature in early childhood

Ladan Davallow Ghajar1, Mark D DeBoer1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|October 17, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Lower birthweight, preterm birth, female sex, and lower income predict short stature in children. African American children showed a reduced risk compared to white children, highlighting socioeconomic and racial influences on child height.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Human Growth and Development

Background:

  • Short stature in children is a significant concern with multifactorial origins.
  • Understanding predictors is crucial for early identification and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify environmental and birth characteristic predictors of short stature.
  • To analyze these factors in a large, nationally representative sample of children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 10,127 children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten 2011 cohort.
  • Employed univariate and multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses.
  • Assessed predictors including birthweight, preterm status, sex, parental education, income, and race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

  • Lower birthweight was significantly associated with short stature (aOR 2.45 per kg decrease for term children).
  • Preterm birth increased the odds of short stature (aOR 2.23).
  • Female sex, lower parental income, and being African American (aOR 0.34 vs. white children) were also significant predictors.

Conclusions:

  • Key predictors of short stature identified are low birthweight, preterm birth, female sex, and low parental income.
  • Socioeconomic disparities and race/ethnicity play a role in height outcomes.
  • Findings can aid pediatricians in assessing early school-age children's stature development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Environmental factorsEpidemiologyGrowthShort childrenShort stature

More Related Videos

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment06:50

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment

Published on: December 29, 2014

12.4K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.4K

Related Concept Videos

Characteristics of Life01:23

Characteristics of Life

Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
261.2K
Birth Control Methods01:22

Birth Control Methods

Vasectomy is a surgical form of male sterilization that involves severing and sealing the vasa deferentia, preventing sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Because a vasectomy does not impact the testes' ability to produce testosterone, hormone levels, libido, and sexual function generally remain unchanged. While vasectomy is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate near 99.85%, rare cases of recanalization (spontaneous reconnection) can occur. Although...
6.8K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.4K
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood01:28

Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood

Erik Erikson, a stage theorist, adapted Freud's theory to emphasize social factors in personality development throughout life, a concept known as psychosocial development. Unlike Freud, who focused on early childhood, Erikson believed that personality evolves across eight life stages, each marked by a specific challenge or "crisis." Successful resolution of each stage fosters competence, while failure may lead to feelings of inadequacy.
The first four of Erikson's eight...
1.0K
Characteristics of Fluids01:20

Characteristics of Fluids

When a force is applied parallel to the top surface of a solid, it resists the applied force due to the internal frictional forces between the layers of the solid known as shearing resistance. However, when the force is removed, the shearing forces restore the original shape of the solid. Other deformation forces also cause temporary changes in shape if the forces are not beyond a threshold magnitude. Solids tend to retain their shape, making the study of their rest and motion easier. Beyond...
8.0K
Characteristics of BJT01:17

Characteristics of BJT

The Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), specifically in a common-emitter configuration, exhibits distinct current-voltage characteristics crucial for understanding its behavior in electronic circuits. These characteristics are established through experimental measurements of voltage and current relationships.
For input characteristics, the base-emitter voltage is varied, maintaining a constant collector-emitter voltage. This setup reveals a Shockley-type dependence of the collector current on...
1.3K