| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥200,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥200,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Growth is characterized by gradual modifications which are individual in nature. A child does not always follow the growth pattern obtained in population. It is, therefore, important to evaluate variation in growth patterns within individuals. Seasonal growth variation has not been frequently studies in early childhood. Cross-sectional observations of Japanese children indicate maximum monthly growth increments of stature during the spring or summer and that of weight during the fall or winter. In Japan, measurements of stature and body weight are performed monthly at kindergarten and nursery school according to standard procedures by the nurse-teacher. However, measurements of other dimensions are not routinely taken, and there is little information. When longitudinal data are available, they have usually been analyzed cross-sectionally. Further, measurements are often limited to stature and body weight, and there is little information about seasonal variation in the growth of other b
… More
ody dimensions.
Longitudinal studies are time-consuming and laborious, and it is quite difficult to observe individual subjects at monthly intervals over long periods without interruption. A prospective longitudinal study of growth was initiated at nursery school in Tokyo and continues at present. Subjects were measured longitudinally by the same individual on the last Monday of each month, at about 10 a.m. in the morning, from 3 to 6 years of age. Stature, weight, arm span, biiiliac diameter and skinfolds were measured using the equipment and techniques as those used in the Harpenden Growth Study. The subjects were healthy Japanese children, born between 1997 and 1999. In this study growth in stature, weight, arm span and biiliac diameter of individual children were analyzed for seasonal variation and months of maximum growth rate during early childhood. Before analysis, missing values were interpolated as the average of the preceding and following values. The subjects who had more than three missing values or more than one successive missing value were excluded from the analysis. About one-third of the subjects were excluded for these reasons. The remaining subjects had no missing values, and each subject had 36 data points during the 3 years. The data were analyzed by time-series analysis to examine for the presence and pattern of seasonality of growth in four dimensions. Significant seasonal variations were observed more than 50% of the children for all dimensions except for biiliac diameter in girls. However, it appeared that the percentage of significant seasonal variations in early childhood was lower than in later childhood. Relation (seasonal combinations) of seasons at maximum growth rate of the four dimensions within each individual varied widely among children. These results suggest that seasonal factors for individuals do not always rise or fall synchronously and that there is wide variation among children in seasonal variation of growth. It was suggested that seasonal factor should be subdivide into finer factors and relationships between these factors and individual growth was investigated. Less
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