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Height, weight, and body mass index among Akwesasne Mohawk youth
Author(s) -
Gallo Mia V.,
Schell Lawrence M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.20316
Subject(s) - mohawk , percentile , overweight , body mass index , anthropometry , demography , native american , obesity , medicine , gerontology , statistics , mathematics , history , endocrinology , library science , genealogy , sociology , computer science
Abstract Information on the growth of contemporary Native American adolescents is limited. A few studies have shown that Native Americans have growth patterns that may differ from U.S. reference values. We describe basic anthropometric characteristics (height and weight) of Mohawk youth between the ages of 10.0 and 16.99 years from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Mean height of Akwesasne Mohawk youth approximates the 50 th percentile of reference values as determined by the 2000 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts. At every age, weight means of males approximate or exceed the 90 th percentile and all mean weights of females approximate the 85 th percentile. Akwesasne males are significantly taller than females from age 14 on and significantly heavier at ages 14 and 16. All age‐specific BMI means for males are at or above the 90 th percentile and females' means are at or above the 85 th . The potential for long‐term health effects associated with being overweight has implications for the future health of young Native Americans. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 17:269–279, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.