Correlation Study of Personal, Behavioral and Environmental Factors to the Body Height of Students in Elementary School

• Main Authors: Yu-Ling Chang, 張玉玲
• Other Authors: Yiing-Mei Liou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/36282148057815411300

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 臨床暨社區護理研究所 === 102 === Abstract Research background: The growth of children is the significant presentation of holistic health. WHO suggested, ensuring the growth of children is a significant issue that need the attention of the whole society. Stature is one of the important index to evaluate the growth of children and teenagers. Children with short stature are more likely to have social psychological issues, such as poor self-esteem and declined confidence, etc. Domestic researchers found that average menarche age of Taiwan girls is 12.1, however, girl’s stature will stop growing at a year after menarche, so an early intervention is needed. Whereas, the factors influencing children’s stature are quite complicated, it deserves deep explorations about which are more significant and how are their impacts. Research purposes: To compare the differences between tall and short stature primary school students in personal factors (race, parental height, birth height and weight and the age of menarche), behavioral factors (diet, physical activities and sleep) and environmental factors (family background and dining environment). Research methods: This study adopted cross-sectional study design, and conducted three-phase Probability Proportionate to Size Sampling (PPS) children in fourth, fifth and sixth grades among Taipei City, Taizhong City, Tainan City and Taitung City as research objects. Then, distributing the “questionnaire of impacts on children’s growth” developed by professor Yingmei Liu in health center of National Yang Ming University, to collect information through students’ answers in autonomous management network. All the information were analyzed by SPSS and examined by descriptive statistics, then statics methods such as, Odds Ratio, Logistic Regression and Hierarchical Regression were adopted to discuss the related factors affecting children’s stature. Results: This study researched 6,200 people and divided them into taller group (T, 2012 people) and neutral group (N，2025 people) and short group (S, 2163 people) with respective proportion of 33% and 67%. The results showed: (1) The factors make children growing taller are: father’s stature over 170 cm, mother’s stature over 160 cm, birth weight over 3000 g, drinking 2000 cc water a day (OR =2.16, 1.92, 1.62, 1.70); the factors make children growing shorter are: frequently drinking flavored milk, eating cakes and snacks more than three days a week, sitting less than five hours a day (OR = 0.59, 0.55, 0.73). (2) The factors make little girls growing taller are: father’s stature over 170 cm, mother’s stature over 160 cm, birth height over 48 cm, drinking 2000 cc water a day after menarche （OR =3.10, 1.67, 1.93, 4.58、2.00. (3) The factors make little boys growing taller are: mother’s stature over 160 cm, birth weight over 3000 g, outdoor activities over 60 minutes (OR =2.70, 2.36, 1.93). The factor make little boys growing shorter is: eating cakes land snacks more than three days a week (OR=0.46). Conclusions: This study echoed that inheritance is the most significant factor affecting stature. The unique contribution of this study is to find out the mutual antagonism between healthy and unhealthy diet, for example, drinking more water, eating less cakes and snacks might reduce the intake of carbonated drinks and whole milk. This study also figured out the tipping point of outdoor exercise - 60 minutes outdoor exercise a day can increase the possibility to grow taller. Suggestions: Parental stature, birth height and weight and menarche are main factors for leading height; while health behaviors of drinking 2000 cc water a day, turning to whole milk, reducing cakes and snacks to avoid protein intake as well as 60 minutes outdoor exercise each day are all the amendable behavioral factors of being leading height. Keywords: Stature, genetic inheritance, behavior, diet, physical activities, sitting, outdoor activities, menarche, primary school, students