Estimating secular changes in longitudinal growth patterns underlying adult height with the QEPS model: the Grow Up Gothenburg cohorts

Background Over the past 150 years, humans have become taller, and puberty has begun earlier. It is unclear if these changes are continuing in Sweden, and how longitudinal growth patterns are involved. We aimed to evaluate the underlying changes in growth patterns from birth to adulthood by QEPS est...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric research 2018-07, Vol.84 (1), p.41-49
Main Authors: Holmgren, Anton, Niklasson, Aimon, Nierop, Andreas F. M., Gelander, Lars, Aronson, A. Stefan, Sjöberg, Agneta, Lissner, Lauren, Albertsson-Wikland, Kerstin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
1976
Adolescent
Adult
Algorithms
birth
Body Height
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Child
Child Development
Child, Preschool
childhood growth
children
Female
gestational-age
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
later life
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Models, Theoretical
nner jm
p315
Pediatric Surgery
Pediatrics
Pediatrik
Population Study Article
proceedings of the nutrition society
pubertal development
Puberty
Puberty - physiology
Sex Factors
Sexual Maturation
Sweden - epidemiology
trends
v35
weight
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background Over the past 150 years, humans have become taller, and puberty has begun earlier. It is unclear if these changes are continuing in Sweden, and how longitudinal growth patterns are involved. We aimed to evaluate the underlying changes in growth patterns from birth to adulthood by QEPS estimates in two Swedish cohorts born in 1974 and 1990. Methods Growth characteristics of the longitudinal 1974 and 1990-birth cohorts ( n  = 4181) were compared using the QEPS model together with adult heights. Results There was more rapid fetal/infancy growth in girls/boys born in 1990 compared to 1974, as shown by a faster Etimescale and they were heavier at birth. The laterborn were taller also in childhood as shown by a higher Q -function. Girls born in 1990 had earlier and more pronounced growth during puberty than girls born in 1974. Individuals in the 1990 cohort attained greater adult heights than those in the 1974 cohort; 6 mm taller for females and 10 mm for males. Conclusion A positive change in adult height was attributed to more growth during childhood in both sexes and during puberty for girls. The QEPS model proved to be effective detecting small changes of growth patterns, between two longitudinal growth cohorts born only 16 years apart.
ISSN:0031-3998
1530-0447
DOI:10.1038/s41390-018-0014-z