Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Height, weight, body mass index and pubertal development reference values for children of Turkish origin in the Netherlands

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide growth and sexual maturation reference data for Turkish children living in The Netherlands. We also compared these references with the reference data of children of Dutch origin and with Turkish reference data collected in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe. Cross-sectional growth and demographic data were collected from 2,904 children of Turkish origin and 14,500 children of Dutch origin living in the Netherlands in the age range 0–20 years. Growth references for length, height, weight for height, body mass index (BMI) and head circumference were constructed with the LMS method. Reference curves for sexual maturation and menarche were estimated by a generalised additive model. Predictive variables for height and BMI were assessed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Young Turkish adults were 10 cm shorter than their Dutch contemporaries. Mean height was 174.0 cm for males and 160.7 cm for females. Height differences in comparison with Dutch children started at 3 years. Height SDS was predominantly associated with target height. The height of Turkish children living in the Netherlands was similar to Turkish children in Germany and to children from high socio-economic classes in Istanbul. Compared to Dutch children, maturation stages started 0.5–0.7 years later for both sexes. In girls, median age at menarche was 12.8 years, 5 months earlier than in Dutch girls. BMI of Turkish children was higher than that of Dutch children at all ages. BMI SDS was associated with birth weight and the duration of stay of the mother in the Netherlands. Conclusion:Turkish children are considerably shorter and more overweight than Dutch children. Separate growth charts for Turkish children in The Netherlands are useful for growth monitoring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BMI :

body mass index

SD :

standard deviation

SES :

socio-economic status

TH :

target height

References

  1. Aksu F, Schnakenburg KV (1980) Percentilkurven von Körpergrösse und- Gewicht Türkischer Jungen und Mädchen. Der Kinderartz 11: 199–205

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alders M (2001) Allochtonen, een jonge en groeiende bevolkingsgroep. Allochtonen in Nederland, CBS, Voorburg/Heerlen

  3. Baki A, Tezic T (1986) Physical growth measurements of primary school children living in Trabzon. Turk J Pediatr 28: 31–45

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bundak R (2000) Height of Turkish boys in Istanbul. Acta Medica Auxol 32: 23

    Google Scholar 

  5. Brussaard JH, van Erp-Baart MA, Brants HA, Hulshof KF, Lowik MR (2001) Nutrition and health among migrants in The Netherlands. Public Health Nutr 4(2B): 659–664

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. CBS (2002) Samenleven; nieuwe feiten over relaties en gezinnen. CBS, Voorburg/Heerlen

  7. Cole TJ, Green PJ (1992) Smoothing reference centile curves: the LMS method and penalized likelihood. Stat Med 11: 1305–1319

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chinn S, Cole TJ, Preece MA, Rona RJ (1996) Growth charts for ethnic populations in UK (letter). Lancet 347: 839–840

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Danker-Hopfe H, Delibalta K (1990) Menarcheal age of Turkish girls in Bremen. Anthropol Anz 48: 1–14

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Fredriks AM, van Buuren S, Burgmeijer RJ, Meulmeester JF, Beuker RJ, Brugman E, Roede MJ, Verloove-Vanhorick SP, Wit JM (2000) Continuing positive secular growth change in The Netherlands 1955–1997. Pediatr Res 47: 316–323

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fredriks AM, van Buuren S, Wit JM, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2000) Body mass index measurements in 1996–7 compared with 1980. Arch Dis Child 82: 107–112

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Guvenc H, Berki R, Ocal G (1988) Sexual maturation of Turkish boys in Ankara. Turk J Pediatr 30: 39–43

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hastie TJ, Tibshirani RJ (1990) Generalized additive models. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 95–96

  14. Kinik E, Karaman O, Buyukgebiz A (1987) Determination of various parameters of sexual maturity in adolescent boys in Ankara. Turk J Pediatr 29: 217–226

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Marshall WA, Tanner JM (1999) Puberty. In: Human growth. Plenum Press, New York, pp 177–196

  16. Meulmeester JF, Wedel M, van den Berg H, Hulshog KFAM, Kistemaker C, Bovens M, Luyken R (1988) De voedingstoestand van Turkse en Marokkaanse kinderen in Nederland. Voeding 4: 84–89

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mjones S (1987) Growth in Turkish children in Stockholm. Ann Hum Biol 14: 337–347

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mul D, Fredriks AM, van Buuren S, Oostdijk W, SP, Wit JM (2001) Pubertal development in The Netherlands 1965–1997. Pediatr Res 50: 479–486

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Nebigil I, Hizel S, Tanyer G, Dallar Y, Coskun T (1997) Heights and weights of primary school children of different social background in Ankara, Turkey. J Trop Pediatr 43: 297–303

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Neyzi O, Yalcindag A, Alp H (1973) Heights and weights of Turkish children. J Trop Pediatr Environ Child Health 19: 5–13

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Neyzi O, Alp H, Orhorn A (1975) Sexual maturation in Turkish girls. Ann Hum Biol 2: 49–59

    Google Scholar 

  22. Neyzi O, Alp H, Yalcindag A, Yakacikli S, Orhorn A (1975) Sexual maturation in Turkish boys. Ann Hum Biol 2: 251–259

    Google Scholar 

  23. Schulpen TW (1994) Internationale en interculturele aspecten van kindergeneeskunde en jeugdgezondheidszorg (International and intercultural aspects of pediatrics and adolescent health care) Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 138: 367–370

  24. Statistics Netherlands (1997) Demographic statistics 1996. CBS, Voorburg/Heerlen

  25. Tanner JM (1986) Normal growth and techniques of growth assessment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 15: 411–451

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Turkish growth charts, 1997 (2001) Dutch Growth Study. Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum, Houten

  27. Yalaz K, Epir S (1983) Physical growth measurements of preschool urban Turkish children. Turk J Pediatr 25: 155–165

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Yenioglu H, Guvenc H, Aygun AD, Kocabay K (1995) Pubertal development of Turkish boys in Elazig, eastern Turkey. Ann Hum Biol 22: 337–340

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out in co-operation with the 'Well Baby Clinics' and Municipal Health Services and was financially supported by The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, Health Research and Development Counsel and Prevention, Nutricia and Pharmacia. The authors thank the participating schools. We are also grateful to Dr. F.G. Öry for his critical suggestions concerning the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Health Division, TNO Prevention and Health, 2301 CE , Leiden, The Netherlands

    A. Miranda Fredriks, Stef van Buuren & S. Pauline Verloove-Vanhorick

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    A. Miranda Fredriks, Sara E. R. Jeurissen, S. Pauline Verloove-Vanhorick & Jan Maarten Wit

  3. Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Friedo W. Dekker

Authors
  1. A. Miranda Fredriks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stef van Buuren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sara E. R. Jeurissen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Friedo W. Dekker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Pauline Verloove-Vanhorick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jan Maarten Wit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Miranda Fredriks.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fredriks, A.M., van Buuren, S., Jeurissen, S.E.R. et al. Height, weight, body mass index and pubertal development reference values for children of Turkish origin in the Netherlands. Eur J Pediatr 162, 788–793 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-003-1292-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-003-1292-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation