C Y Valenzuela1. 1. Departamento de Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chilean girls of middle and low socioeconomic levels are shorter than their European or North American counterparts. AIM: To challenge the hypothesis that undernutrition is the cause of the shorter stature of Chilean girls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Height, weight, sexual maturation, biacromial and bi-iliac diameters of low and middle socioeconomic level Chilean children aged 0 to 20 years old, were compared with data from French, English and North American children in the same age range. RESULTS: Chilean girls had an earlier sexual maturation, had bigger biacromial and bi-iliac diameters and had a higher weight for height than European girls. Weight for height of these girls was over the values proposed by the Chilean Ministry of Health, that are based in NCHS/WHO tables. Chilean girls with recent European ancestry were taller than girls without this ancestry. Chilean boys were smaller and had lower weights than their foreign counterparts. Bi-iliac diameters were similar to those of French boys and sexual maturation was similar to English boys. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that genetics and not undernutrition is involved in the shorter height of Chilean girls, when compared with their European or North American counterparts.
BACKGROUND: Chilean girls of middle and low socioeconomic levels are shorter than their European or North American counterparts. AIM: To challenge the hypothesis that undernutrition is the cause of the shorter stature of Chilean girls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Height, weight, sexual maturation, biacromial and bi-iliac diameters of low and middle socioeconomic level Chilean children aged 0 to 20 years old, were compared with data from French, English and North American children in the same age range. RESULTS: Chilean girls had an earlier sexual maturation, had bigger biacromial and bi-iliac diameters and had a higher weight for height than European girls. Weight for height of these girls was over the values proposed by the Chilean Ministry of Health, that are based in NCHS/WHO tables. Chilean girls with recent European ancestry were taller than girls without this ancestry. Chilean boys were smaller and had lower weights than their foreign counterparts. Bi-iliac diameters were similar to those of French boys and sexual maturation was similar to English boys. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that genetics and not undernutrition is involved in the shorter height of Chilean girls, when compared with their European or North American counterparts.
Authors: Manuel Llorca-Jaña; Diego Barría Traverso; Diego Del Barrio Vásquez; Javier Rivas Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-12-12 Impact factor: 3.390