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Updated: Oct 26, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Body size and composition of Samoan toddlers aged 18-25 months in 2019
Sakurako Oyama1,2, Rachel L Duckham3,4,5, Kendall J Arslanian6
1Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Insights
The CREBRF rs373863828 variant is linked to increased height in Samoan toddlers. This early growth may influence the variant's protective effects against diabetes in adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Human genetics
- Pediatric growth studies
- Metabolic disease research
Background:
- The Foafoaga O le Ola study is a prospective birth cohort of 160 Samoan mother-infant dyads.
- Investigates the impact of the CREBRF rs373863828 variant on early life growth.
- The variant is associated with larger adult body size and reduced diabetes risk in Samoans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine body size and composition in toddlers based on CREBRF rs373863828 genotype.
- To understand early life growth patterns related to a specific genetic variant.
Main Methods:
- Measured height, weight, head and abdominal circumferences, and skinfold thickness in 107 toddlers.
- Assessed body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 42 toddlers.
- Analyzed data based on the rs373863828 genotype (AA/AG vs. GG).
Main Results:
- Toddlers with at least one copy of the CREBRF minor allele (AA/AG) were 1.31 cm taller than those with the GG genotype.
- This difference was statistically significant after controlling for sex and age (p=0.045).
Conclusions:
- Early childhood linear growth may be influenced by the CREBRF variant.
- Further research is needed to determine if this early growth contributes to the variant's protective metabolic effects in adulthood.
Background:
The "Foafoaga O le Ola (Beginning of Life)" study is a prospective birth cohort of n = 160 Samoan mother-infant dyads established in 2017-2018. A primary study aim is to explore how a missense variant at CREBRF rs373863828 impacts growth in early life, given its association with increased body size but lower risk of diabetes in adult Samoans. Here, we examine body size and composition by genotype among toddlers aged 18.7-24.5 months.
Methods:
Height, weight, head circumference, mid-upper-arm circumference, and abdominal circumference, as well as subscapular, triceps, iliac crest and thigh skinfold thickness were measured among 107 toddlers with known rs373863828 genotype; 42 of these toddlers completed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans from which body composition (total body less head fat mass, lean mass, bone mass, % fat mass and % fat-free mass) was estimated.
Results:
After controlling for sex and age, toddlers with at least one copy of the CREBRF minor allele (AA/AG) were 1.31 cm taller (SE = 0.64, p = 0.045) than toddlers with the GG genotype.
Conclusion:
Whether greater linear growth in early childhood could contribute to the metabolically protective effects associated with the CREBRF variant in adulthood should be explored in future studies.
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