Chinese Preschool Children Growth Reference Standard and Related Curve: Based on GAMLSS Approach.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Biostatistics

Background:

• The 2003 Chinese national growth standard for preschool children is outdated and lacks scientific rigor.
• There is a critical need for updated, scientific growth reference standards for effective child health assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a more accurate and scientific growth reference standard for Chinese preschool children.
• To develop percentile and Z-score curves for key physical indicators.

Main Methods:

• Utilized physical and health data from 31 Chinese provinces collected in 2010 and 2014.
• Employed the Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) model to create growth references.

Main Results:

• Developed growth reference standards, including percentile and Z-score curves, for height, sitting height, weight, and chest circumference-for-age.
• Observed a consistent increasing trend in the 50th percentile (C50) for all indicators between ages 3.0 and 6.5.
• Quantified significant increases in height, sitting height, weight, and chest circumference for both boys and girls.

Conclusions:

• The new growth charts serve as vital tools for monitoring and personalized evaluation of preschool children's growth and development.
• These standards can aid in reducing malnutrition and preventing/controlling childhood obesity.
• Recommended for application in child health, medical treatment, and public health initiatives.