The National Study of Health and Growth

by Rona, Roberto J.; Chinn, Susan

• ISBN13: 9780192629197
• ISBN10: 0192629190
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-02
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book is an account of a study which provided unique information on trends in growth and respiratory health in British children over 25 years, with methodological discussion and other major findings including risk factors for impaired growth, obesity, respiratory disease and the distribution of coronary heart disease factors. The book provides information on trends in growth, height weight for height and subcutaneous arm tissue, and in respiratory health, asthma attacks and related symptoms, in children aged 5 to 11 years, from 1972 to 1994. It provides information on risk factors for impaired growth, obesity and respiratory disease, and on the distribution of risk factors for coronary heart disease in children. The contribution of the National Health and Growth Study extended to topics such as the effects of changes in welfare policy, under-diagnosis and under-treatment of asthma, nocturnal enuresis, disturbed sleep, the impact of passive smoking on the health of children, and the relation of lung function to the child's intra-uterine environment and to passive smoking. The methodological issues in relation to the conduct of the study and analysis of the data are discussed in non-technical language. Each contribution of the study is discussed in relation to current literature, which is fully referenced throughout.

Table of Contents

Foreword	v	(2)
Professor J. S. Garrow
Preface	vii	(1)
Acknowledgements	viii
1 Background to the study	01	(4)
Roberto J. Rona
Walter W. Holland
Susan Chinn
2 Design, data collection, and analysis	05	(16)
3 The administration of long-term large studies	21	(6)
4 Secular trend in height	27	(8)
5 Secular trend in obesity	35	(8)
6 Factors related to height	43	(7)
7 Factors related to obesity	50	(8)
8 Coronary heart disease risk factors in children	58	(6)
9 Studies on respiratory illness and lung function	64	(9)
10 Assessing the effect of parental smoking on a child's health	73	(6)
11 Secular trend in asthma	79	(4)
Peter J. G. Burney
Roberto J. Rona
Susan Chinn
12 Parents' perceptions of their child's health	83	(9)
13 Assessing the effect of changes in school-milk and school-meals policy over short periods of time	92	(5)
14 The public health perspective of the NSHG	97	(4)
Walter W. Holland
15 NSHG: The auxological perspective	101	(7)
James M. Tanner
Appendix: The National Study of Health and Growth publications in chronological order	108	(6)
References	114	(13)
Index	127