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Development of Body Mass Index Growth Standard Chart for Chinese Preschool Children
Chunjing Tu1,2, Chongmin Jiang2, Sanhua Zhang3
1Qianjiang College, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Insights
This study established a Body Mass Index (BMI) reference standard for Chinese preschool children. The developed BMI growth chart aids in monitoring child growth and nutrition in China.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Public Health Nutrition
- Growth Monitoring
Background:
- Establishing accurate Body Mass Index (BMI) reference standards is crucial for assessing preschool children's growth in China.
- Previous growth references may not accurately reflect the current population of Chinese preschoolers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a national reference standard and percentile curves for Body Mass Index (BMI) in Chinese preschool children aged 3-6 years.
- To provide a tool for monitoring and evaluating the nutritional status of young children in China.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 50,702 children aged 3-6 years across 31 provinces in mainland China in 2014.
- Utilized the Lambda-Median-Sigma (LMS) method to construct the BMI reference standard and percentile curves.
Main Results:
- Developed BMI percentile maps and graphs for Chinese preschool children, noting similarities in shape between sexes and a horn shape for ages 4-6.
- Observed higher BMI values in male children compared to females within the same age and percentile group.
- Identified differences in BMI patterns between sexes and age groups, with Chinese male children exceeding WHO standards more significantly at higher percentiles.
Conclusions:
- The developed BMI growth chart serves as a valuable tool for monitoring the growth and nutritional status of preschool children in China.
- Recommends the widespread adoption of these findings in preventive healthcare initiatives to improve child health outcomes.
Background:
We aimed to establish a reference standard of Body Mass Index (BMI) for the growth of preschool children in China.
Methods:
We monitored and obtained the height and weight of 50702 children aged 3-6 yr in 31 provinces in mainland China in 2014. The reference standard and percentile curve of BMI preschool children aged 3-6 yr old were formulated by using Lambda-Median-Sigma (LMS) method in China.
Results:
The common grounds of the male and female children were as follows: the percentile maps were similar in shape; the graphs of children aged 4-6 were approximately horn shaped. The differences between male and female children were as follows: the BMI values of male children in the same age group and the same percentile were higher than those of the female children. The change pattern of male children was larger than that of female children. BMI of 3 yr old and 6 yr old children was larger than those of 4 yr old and 5 yr old. During the change from low percentile to high percentile, the BMI values of Chinese male children exceeded WHO to a larger extent, and the BMI values of Chinese female children were substantially consistent with WHO, but the high percentile greater than P95 exceeded WHO.
Conclusion:
The BMI growth chart developed can be applied in monitoring the growth and nutrition of preschool children in China. We recommend the promotion of the results in the field of preventive health care.
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