Anthropometric measurements illustrating the socio-economic effects on growth and development in a subadult sample population in Romania

A. Petca, A. D. Colceriu, A. Bălăianu, I. Diac, C. Dogăroiu,

Abstract: In Romania, the age estimation protocol for children consists of anthropometric measurements, odontostomatology, Rx imaging and the assessment of secondary sexual characteristics. The present study compares certain anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index), part of the age estimation protocol, obtained during the medico-legal expertise undertaken at “Mina Minovici” National Institute of Legal Medicine with the international standards of World Health Organization. Anthropometric expertises of 804 subadult subjects were retrieved from the “Mina Minovici” National Institute of Legal Medicine archive, data being recorded between 2002 and 2011. In a retrospective observational study we followed the anthropometric measurements for subadult subjects, ages between 1 year and 18 years, investigating the growth pattern and development of children depending on age and gender. At the time of the examination, date of birth was not recorded in the national registry office, but in most cases the chronological age was known from the medical birth certificate issued in the maternity hospital. Therefore, anthropometric measurements in these cases and the age estimation could be compared with the presumed age that had a high degree of probability. We systemized the data for different stages of childhood and by gender, demonstrating that the growth pattern in our study population followed a lower growth curve than the international standards, thus confirming the influence of the socio-economic status.
Keywords: anthropometry, age estimation, subadult, socio-economic status.