The effect of socio-economic conditions on the time of diagnosis and compliance during treatment in growth hormone deficiency.

In 78 patients with idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency the effect of the fathers' educational level on the age and the extent of growth retardation at diagnosis was studied. There was a tendency for an increase of the age and the degree of growth retardation with the decrease of the fathers' completed grades. The occurrence of height SD scores less than -4.5 was conversely related to the number of grades completed by the father (chi 2 = 19.2 p less than 0.001). Eighteen of the 70 patients treated with growth hormone discontinued treatment after 0.3 to 6 years. Compliance was closely related to the grades completed by the father (chi 2 = 24.7 p less than 0.001). Six out of 7 patients with a height SDS less than -4.5 at diagnosis and with a father of low level of education (less than 8 grades) became non compliant. It is concluded that the degree of growth retardation at diagnosis and compliance at treatment in GH deficiency is related to the educational level of the father.