Comparison of growth and nutritional status of Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The difference in growth and nutritional status, both important indices of population quality, between Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents is unknown. AIM: This study aimed to compare growth and nutritional status between Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The height-for-age and BMI-for-age distribution of 9,226 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from China and Japan were described with the Lambda Mu and Sigma method. Wasting, overweight and obesity were evaluated based on BMI-for-age cut-offs of the 2007 WHO Child Growth Reference. RESULTS: For boys, the overall average height, weight and BMI of Chinese participants were 3.0 cm, 4.8 kg and 1.2 kg/m2 greater compared with Japanese participants, respectively; for girls, these were 4.6 cm, 3.9 kg and 0.6 kg/m2, respectively. Compared with Japanese children, the 3rd, 50th and 97th percentiles of height-for-age, 1Z-score, and 2Z-score of BMI-for-age of Chinese children were greater, whereas the minus 2Z-scores of Chinese children were less. The prevalence of wasting, overweight and obesity among Chinese participants was greater. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Japanese children, Chinese children tended to be taller. The worrying burden of overweight, obesity and wasting was recognised among Chinese children.

[Longitudinal photometric analysis of facial profiles of Japanese children with skeletal class â malocclusion].

PURPOSE: To analyze the longitudinal growth changes in facial profiles of Japanese children with skeletal Class Ⅰ malocclusion. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 525 longitudinally taken lateral facial photographs from 57 Japanese children (25 males and 32 females) aging from 7 to 18 years. The reference line to standardize and evaluate serial growth changes was the er-ex line passing through point er，the upper edge of the ear rod in a Photostat，and point ex，ektokanthion. The profile ratios，angles，and distances from the upper/lower lips to the E-line were measured. Longitudinal growth changes in the facial profiles were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 software package. RESULTS: The horizontal profile ratios of the chin showed significant differences between the sexes aging from 8 to 13 years. The horizontal profile ratios showed characteristic changes in both males and females from 7 to 18 years. The vertical profile ratios did not show such remarkable changes. CONCLUSIONS: The nose and chin showed characteristic facial growth; the nasal tip showed forward and downward growth and the chin showed gradual protrusion. The upper lip showed slight retraction in females but an upright tendency in males. The lower lip showed slight forward growth. The ratios of upper to total facial height and middle to total facial height increased and decreased，respectively. The ratio of lower to total facial height showed few changes.