# Height Growth Modeling in Ethiopian Children and Adolescents Aged 7–20 Years: A Prospective Cohort Study

## TL;DR

This study models height growth in Ethiopian children and adolescents, finding regional and gender differences in growth patterns and timing of puberty.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into regional and gender-specific height growth variations in Ethiopia using longitudinal data.

## Key findings

- Boys experience puberty 2.6 years later than girls, with lower peak height velocity compared to girls.
- Children in Amhara and Tigrai regions are significantly shorter than those in Addis Ababa.
- Height at peak velocity correlates strongly with the rate of change during puberty.

## Abstract

Background: Modeling physical growth plays a vital role in examining and defining growth trajectories related to public health and well-being.

Aim: The primary objective of this study was to model height growth in Ethiopian children and adolescents aged 7–20 years to estimate the growth variations across the Ethiopian regions.

Methods: A total of 891 children and adolescents aged 7.5–20 years were included in the study. To estimate growth spurts within and between study subjects over time, the SITAR and PB1 models were fitted to the height growth measurements gathered in four survey rounds to.

Results: Boys experienced puberty 2.6 years later than girls did, while the mean peak height velocity was estimated to be 5.5 cm/year in boys and 6.3 cm/year in girls. The mean adult height in boys was estimated to be 174.6 cm, while in girls, it was estimated to be 162.2 cm. Both girls (p < 0.005) and boys (p < 0.008) in Amhara and Tigrai regions were significantly shorter compared to their counterparts in Addis Ababa. However, there was no significant height difference between girls and boys in former SNNPRS region, Oromia region, and Addis Ababa. Height at peak velocity strongly correlated with the rate of change during the pubertal period. The rate of change in both boys and girls during the prepubertal and pubertal growth stages was inversely correlated with the adult height.

Conclusions: Children who had rapid rate of change during the prepubertal and pubertal periods attained adulthood later in life. There was a significantly different height growth in children and adolescents across the regions of Ethiopia.