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PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 6 December 2001, pp. e108

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

Comparison of Body Weight and Height of Israeli Schoolchildren With the Tanner and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Charts

Abraham Goldstein, PhD*, Uri Haelyon, MD{ddagger}, Evgenia Krolik, MD{ddagger} and Joseph Sack, MD{ddagger}

* Experimental Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Ramat-Gan, Israel
{ddagger} Pediatric Endocrinology, Bar-Ilan University, Sheba Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Objective. To examine the suitability of the growth charts that are currently used in Israel and consider their replacement with a recent standard. In a sample of schoolchildren, the current Tanner and Whitehouse standards were compared with the new growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Method. A total of 746 Israeli healthy children (368 boys and 378 girls) aged 6 to 14 years were sampled from 2 super-regional schools (from the Jewish population). Height was measured using the Leicester height measure, and weight was measured using scales calibrated by the researchers.

Results. In height, 75% of the boys and 81% of the girls fell in the 10th to 90th percentile range of the Tanner standards. In weight, 71% of the boys and 81% of the girls were in the 10th to 90th percentile range. Israeli boys were taller ({chi}2(1) = 30.53) and heavier ({chi}2(1) = 29.39), and girls were taller ({chi}2(1) = 13.81) than predicted by the Tanner standards. The CDC 10th to 90th percentile range included 81% of the boys and 83% of the girls for height and 78% of the boys and 81% of the girls for weight. The girls in our sample were slightly shorter ({chi}2(1) = 11.87) and lighter ({chi}2(1) = 9.52) than predicted from the CDC charts. Nevertheless, neither boys’ nor girls’ body mass index measures (kg/h2) differed from the CDC charts.

Conclusions. Our data suggest that the CDC growth charts are adequate for assessing Israeli children and slightly better than the current standard. Thus, in the absence of local standards, we recommend the use of the revised CDC growth charts, which include the additional body mass index measure.

Key Words: growth • anthropometry

Abbreviations: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • BMI, body mass index

Received for publication Apr 9, 2000; Accepted Jul 13, 2001.




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Israeli children slimmer than Americans
Ernest M. Post
Pediatrics Online, 28 Dec 2001 [Full text]