Seasonal variations in growth and body composition of 8-11-year-old Danish children

TY - JOUR

T1 - Seasonal variations in growth and body composition of 8-11-year-old Danish children

AU - Dalskov, Stine-Mathilde

AU - Ritz, Christian

AU - Larnkjær, Anni

AU - Damsgaard, Camilla Trab

AU - Petersen, Rikke Agnete

AU - Sørensen, Louise Bergmann

AU - Hjorth, Mads Fiil

AU - Ong, Ken K

AU - Astrup, Arne

AU - Mølgaard, Christian

AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.

N1 - CURIS 2016 NEXS 091

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Background: Earlier studies on seasonality in growth reported the largest height gains during spring and largest body weight gains during autumn. We examined seasonality in height, body weight, BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI) among contemporary Danish 8-11-y olds. Methods: A total of 760 children from the OPUS School Meal Study provided >2,200 measurements on height, body weight, and composition between September and June. Average velocities were calculated using change-score analyses based on 3-mo intervals. As a complementary analysis, point velocities derived from estimated growth curves were fitted using semiparametric regression that included covariate adjustment and allowed flexible modeling of the time trend. Results: Average velocities showed the following trends: height was higher than the average (6.10 cm/y) in January-April. Body weight was below the average (4.02 kg/y) in August-January and above in January-May; BMI (average: 0.49 kg/ m2 /y) and FFMI (average: 0.17 kg/m2 /y) showed similar trends. In contrast, FMI was above the average (0.38 kg/m2 /y) in November-March. Similar trends were seen for point velocities. Conclusion: Our findings suggest seasonality in growth and body composition of Danish children. We recovered the well-known height velocity peak during spring time, but unlike earlier studies, we found coincident peaks in body weight, BMI, and FFMI velocities.

AB - Background: Earlier studies on seasonality in growth reported the largest height gains during spring and largest body weight gains during autumn. We examined seasonality in height, body weight, BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI) among contemporary Danish 8-11-y olds. Methods: A total of 760 children from the OPUS School Meal Study provided >2,200 measurements on height, body weight, and composition between September and June. Average velocities were calculated using change-score analyses based on 3-mo intervals. As a complementary analysis, point velocities derived from estimated growth curves were fitted using semiparametric regression that included covariate adjustment and allowed flexible modeling of the time trend. Results: Average velocities showed the following trends: height was higher than the average (6.10 cm/y) in January-April. Body weight was below the average (4.02 kg/y) in August-January and above in January-May; BMI (average: 0.49 kg/ m2 /y) and FFMI (average: 0.17 kg/m2 /y) showed similar trends. In contrast, FMI was above the average (0.38 kg/m2 /y) in November-March. Similar trends were seen for point velocities. Conclusion: Our findings suggest seasonality in growth and body composition of Danish children. We recovered the well-known height velocity peak during spring time, but unlike earlier studies, we found coincident peaks in body weight, BMI, and FFMI velocities.

U2 - 10.1038/pr.2015.206

DO - 10.1038/pr.2015.206

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26488554

SN - 0031-3998

VL - 79

SP - 358

EP - 363

JO - Pediatric Research

JF - Pediatric Research

IS - 2

ER -