Anthropometrics Factors of Girls of Ardabil aged 7-19 years and comparison of them with NCHS Standard

Measurement of body Weight and height and determining of body mass index (BMI) according to age is one of the most important international indicators for evaluation of growth and physical health. The present study aimed to evaluate growth indices for schoolgirls 7-19 years of age living in Ardabil to compare with standard reference values and similar studies in Iran. To assess the status of growth pattern of 7-19 year girls in Ardebil during 2005, with a descriptive cross-sectional study, 3996 healthy girls were selected by the multi stage sampling method and their age, body weight, height and body mass index were recorded, then 5,10,25,50,75,90,95 percentile, mean and standard deviation in different age were analyzed and compared with NCHS and selected regions of Iran The mean of Height and weight in urban girls is higher than their peers in rural regions. Height growth was more during the ages of 9-12 with its peakin 9 years olds with 6 cm annually. The highest increase in weight was at age13 which was estimated 5.5 kg annually. Mean of height and weight in girls of Ardabil is less than their peers in Tehran, Kerman, Esfahan but more than their peers in Zahedan. Of the height, weight and body mass index percentiles in girls of Ardabil aged 7-19 years were less than their American peers according to National Center for Health Statistics data. All of percentiles anthropometric factors in girls Ardabil aged 7-19 years were less than NCHS standard.