Child Growth Curves in High-Altitude Ladakh

Results from a Cohort Study

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15465249
AutoresWen-Chien Yang (0000-0001-8206-1496, National Taiwan University Hospital), Chun-Min Fu (0000-0001-7617-9498, National Taiwan University Hospital), Bo-Wei Su (0000-0002-2879-7176, National Taiwan University Hospital), Chung‐Mei Ouyang (0000-0002-1377-772X, National Taiwan University Hospital), Kuen‐Cheh Yang (0000-0003-0047-2238, National Taiwan University Hospital, autor correspondente)
Ano2020
Volume17
Fascículo10
Páginas3652-3652
Data de publicação2020-05-22
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditoraMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph17103652
PMID32455978
OpenAlexW3027638172
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas33

High prevalence of child underweight and stunting in high-altitude areas has often been reported. However, most previous studies on this topic were cross-sectional. Another critical concern is that using the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards to evaluate child growth in high-altitude areas may lead to overestimations of underweight and stunting. Our study aimed to evaluate the long-term growth pattern of children (3 to 18 years) above the altitude of 3500 m in Ladakh, India. The participants' body weight (BW), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI) were measured annually according to the WHO Child Growth Standards for children under 5 years old and the WHO reference data for children aged 5 to 19 years. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to estimate the means and z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI at different ages. A total of 401 children were enrolled from 2012 to 2018. Their mean z-scores of BW, BH, and BMI were -1.47, -1.44, and -0.85 in 2012 and increased to -0.74, -0.92, and -0.63 in 2018. This population's specific growth curve was also depicted, which generally fell below the 85th percentile of the WHO standards. This is the first cohort study about long-term child growth patterns in a high-altitude area. The detailed underlying mechanisms of our findings need future research on more representative data of high-altitude populations

Altitude (triangle · Anthropometry · Body mass index · Cohort · Cohort study · Effects of high altitude on humans · Environmental health · Generalized estimating equation · Growth curve (statistics · Overweight · Percentile · Population · Statistics · Underweight · Birth, Development, and Health · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Mathematics · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Pediatrics