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Sexual dimorphism in bone growth as a function of body size in moderately malnourished Guatemalan preschool age children
Author(s) -
Himes John H.,
Martorell Reynaldo,
Habicht JeanPierre,
Yarbrough Charles,
Malina Robert M.,
Klein Robert E.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330450218
Subject(s) - sexual dimorphism , medullary cavity , medicine , sex characteristics , body weight , demography , anatomy , sociology
The sexual dimorphism in second metacarpal bone growth was investigated in 710 malnourished Guatemalan children one to seven years old to determine if the sex differences seen are only the result of differences in stature and weight. The study sample was mixed‐longitudinal and consisted of 1,586 annual examinations. Boys have greater mean stature, weight, periosteal diameter, medullary diameter and cortical area than girls the same age, while girls have greater age specific mean cortical thickness and percent cortical area than boys. When the effects of stature, weight and age are removed boys still have significantly larger periosteal and medullary diameters and less cortical thickness and percent cortical area than girls. These differences between boys and girls therefore cannot be explained by sex differences in body size. However, no sex differences in cortical area remain after accounting for differences in stature, weight and age.