ESPE Abstracts

Background: Childhood is a dynamic process with continuous growth and development. Growth charts are essential for the assessment of children’s health status. Standards previously established in children aged 6–18 years, according to percentile curves are used in Turkey.

Objective and hypotheses: To determine the effect of different environmental factors on growth of children with the same genetic origin. We investigated the parameters of growth in the east of Turkey and compared them with those of Turkish children living in other regions and countries.

Method: The growth data in the east of Turkey were obtained from the primary and secondary schools in 6 months period. A total of 6917 primary and secondary school students whose height and weight were between the 3rd and 97th percentiles were enrolled. The smoothed percentile curves of weight and height were constructed by the LMS method. The median curves obtained from the east of Turkey were compared with the west of Turkey and Europe (among Turks).

Results: Boys and girls in eastern Turkey were shorter, lighter and had a lower BMI value from Western peers of all ages. All children living in Turkey were lighter and had a lower BMI than European peers at early age. The weight and BMI curves living in the west of Turkey reached to European peers after 11 years old in boys and after 12 years old in girls. The median height in the west of Turkey and Europe were similar between 7 and 11 years of age, later it was higher in west Turkey. The girls in the east of Turkey were shorter than peers until 16 years of age.

Conclusion: Weight and BMI may interact with environmental factors but the final height doesn’t change. The most important factor determining final height is genetic origin. Nevertheless more efforts are needed.