engleski

PREDICTIVE STATUS OF TODDLERS BODY MASS INDEX

Toddler generally implies for 12 to 36 months old child ; time from which children can be included in the preschool educational institution. The issues of harmonious growth and development of children and their relations with the eating habits and the amount of physical activity of children, but also of their parents, which are changed under the influence of modern lifestyles, are subjects to numerous research. The general conclusions of most studies are: 1) there is a constant increase in body weight and in the amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue in children, primarily caused by the sedentary lifestyle and by the consumption of high-calorie foods in inappropriate quantities ; 2) there is a correlation between the lifestyle of parents, their habits, diet, and obesity with the habits and obesity of children ; correlation becomes even more prominent after seven years of age. To describe the trend of growth and development of healthy children, the World Health Organization (WHO ; 2006) conducted research and published a report about standards for child growth as well as standards of relationships: length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight- for-length, weight-for-height, and BMI-for-age. The aim of this study was to establish and to compare the basic morphological parameters of Croatian toddler children with median values of age-equivalent sample from WHO statistics. Also, to analyze the relationship between the child and parent BMI. On a sample of 30 children (15 boys and 15 girls of mean age 3.05±0.82 years ; min=2.19 years ; max=4.39 years), the body height (BH) and body weight (BW) were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Parent's body height and body weight data were collected through the questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U was used to identify the significance of differences between boys and girls in BH, BW, and BMI, while the T- test for single means was used to compare the obtained results with the normative data obtained by WHO (2006). Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze relations between BMI of both parents (as predictors) and children's BMI (as criteria). Mann-Whitney U test determined how boys were significantly heavier from girls (p = 0.04). T-test for single means, for both subsamples, revealed significant differences between BH and criterion WHOBH values: 1) BHGIRLS=98.29 cm, WHOBHGIRLS=95.38 cm, p=0.03 ; BHBOYS =100.73 cm, WHOB-HBOYS=97.02 cm, p=0.02. Significant differences haven't been determined for BW (BWGIRLS=14.30 kg, WHOBWGIRLS=13.95 kg, p=0.29 ; BWBOYS=15.67 kg, WHOBWBOYS=14.59 kg, p=0.06) and BMI (BMIGIRLS=14.82 kg/m2, WHOBMI- GIRLS=15.40 kg/m2, p = 0.08 ; BMIBOYS=15.43 kg/m2, HOBMIBOYS=15.55 kg/m2, p=0.74). For parents' values of BH, BW, and BMI no significant deviations from the normal distribution were found. The relationship between both parents BMI and children BMI was analyzed and the following results were determined: 1) for girls: RBMI BOTH PARENTS/BMI GIRLS=0.35 ; R2 =0.13 ; p<0.05 ; 2) for boys: RBMI BOTH PARENTS/BMIBOYS=0.33 ; R2 =0, 11 ; p<0.05. It is concluded that regardless of the similar dynamics of growth and development of children around the world, since the earliest age there are gender distinct differences in BH, BW, and BMI. Further, toddler age is likely to be too low to be predicted by the BMI of the parents.

toddler, parents, BMI, Mann-Whitney U test, regression ana- lysis

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