Pediatrics · Endocrinology ·
Most adolescents fell below predicted height, but substantial shortfall was uncommon
A retrospective population-based cohort study examined height attainment among adolescents born in 2007 with continuous health insurance coverage and recorded parental heights. Although 69% were below their exact mid-parental height, 5.8% were more than 2 standard deviations below it; several individual and regional factors were associated with lower attainment.
- 69% were below exact mid-parental height.
- 5.8% were more than 2 SD below predicted height.
- Underweight, stimulant use and region were associated with lower attainment.
Researchers used health-maintenance-organization records to identify adolescents born in 2007 who had continuous insurance coverage from age 12 and complete parental height data. They calculated mid-parental height (MPH) and compared it with measured height at approximately age 18. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with not attaining MPH. The abstract does not report the total cohort size.
Overall, 69% of adolescents were shorter than their exact MPH, while 5.8% (1,074 adolescents) were more than 2 standard deviations below MPH. Girls were more likely than boys to attain MPH (reported odds ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.76–0.86; p<0.001). Underweight, stimulant use and residence in the central region were associated with poorer height attainment.
The findings suggest that modest differences from predicted height were common, whereas a large shortfall was less so. Associations with BMI, medication exposure and region do not establish causation. The retrospective study was limited to insured adolescents with complete parental height data in one health system, and the supplied text does not provide further details on socioeconomic measures or adjustment. The study was supported by the Marom Maccabi Healthcare Services Research Program; authors declared no competing interests.
In practice
For clinicians monitoring adolescent growth, the study indicates that being below an exact mid-parental height estimate was common in this cohort, while a shortfall greater than 2 standard deviations was much less frequent. Underweight, stimulant exposure and region were associated with poorer attainment, but the retrospective design cannot show that these factors caused reduced growth or establish an individual patient's expected outcome. Findings from insured adolescents with complete parental-height data may not generalize to all populations; they do not support changing treatment on their own.
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Pediatric Research: Attainment of genetic height potential among adolescents: a nationwide population-based cohort study ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.