[Study on growth of height among students during their adolescence in Zhongshan, Guangdong].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss characteristics of height growth such as Peak Height Velocity (PHV) and Age at Peak Height Velocity (PHA) during adolescence, and to compare the results with other research findings. METHODS: Primary and middle school students' annual physical examination data of Zhongshan in 2005 - 2010 was used. The height velocity by age, PHV, PHA, height velocity by PHA were calculated. RESULTS: The average peak height velocity boys was (10.03 ± 1.67) cm/yr. and that of the girls was (8.39 ± 1.05) cm/yr. Both findings were close to the results from previous similar findings. The average age at which peak height velocity reached 12.28 ± 1.30 years for boys and 10.78 ± 1.04 years for girls, both lower than the previous findings. The correlation coefficients, between height level and PHA were -0.357 (P < 0.001) for boys and -0.338 (P < 0.001) for girls. CONCLUSION: The height levels were positively related to the height velocity before PHA. The Zhongshan students' PHA was lower than the Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang students, also lower than American and Britain students', but their PHVs were similar.