Relationship between adult stature and timing of the pubertal growth spurt

Abstract

Various literature report that little or no correlation exists between adult stature (AS) and the timing of the pubertal growth spurt in stature. No direct linear relationship between AS and age at peak height velocity (PHV) was evident in the Hiroshima Growth Study sample. However, the partial correlation between AS and age at PHV was negative when stature at PHV was controlled. That is, AS and age at PHV negatively correlate with each other so that the older the age at PHV, the lower the AS when stature at PHV is statistically controlled. This is clearly shown by the scatter diagrams of AS and age at PHV. There is a similar relationship between AS and age at takeoff (or age at minimum height velocity). The stature increment during adolescence negatively correlates with age at PHV, and the stature increment highly correlates with length of adolescence. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.