Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Each individual has a genetic basis with a specific growth potential. Prenatal and postnatal factors influence growth by modulating genetic potential. Environmental factors such as socioeconomic factors, including maternal and paternal education, also play a role in physical growth. The aim of study was to investigate whether the height of healthy children in this age group aligns with their genetic height potential, and to assess how socioeconomic status (SES) influences these factors.

Participants and Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in Manisa province between September 2017 and June 2018. Nine hundreds seventy pre-pubertal children aged 7-8 years in the second and/or third grades of primary school and their parents were included in the study. A survey was administered to determine the SES of the children in the study, and survey responses were obtained from the parents. Height and weight of children and their parents were measured. Anthropometric data were evaluated with percentile and standard deviation score (SDS). Mid Parental height (MPH) was calculated by adding 6.5 cm to MPH for boys or subtracting 6.5 cm for girls.

Results: The mean age of the children was 7.3±0.6 years. According to socioeconomic status, 28.0% (273) of children were classified as high, 39.8% (386) as moderate, and 32.1% (311) as low. Children with low SES had significantly lower height SDS than those with high SES (P <.001). BMI SDS was similar among SES groups. Maternal height, paternal height and MPH differed significantly between low and high SES groups (P = 0.020, P = 0.003, and P < 0.01, respectively). MPH SDS and percentile were significantly lower in children with low SES than in children with middle and high SES. A moderate positive significant correlation was found between children’s height SDS and maternal and paternal heights, and target height SDS (r: 0.281, r: 0.295, r: 0.252, respectively, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Socioeconomic inequalities influence parents’ heights, which are reflected in their children’s heights during primary school. Such a difference is not observed among children’s body weights. For individuals in this age group, current height SDS may partially reflect final height SDS.