Height, Weight, and Their Growth Velocities in Guatemalan Private School Children of High Socioeconomic Class

Document Type

Article

Authors

Francis E. Johnston, Temple University, Philadelphia, and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
Michael Borden, Temple University, Philadelphia
Robert B. MacVean, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala

Abstract

In this initial paper from a comprehensive, mixed longitudinal study of the growth of children residing in Guatemala, heights, weights, and their veloci­ties, the latter centered on both chronological age and peak velocity, are presented. The data comprise 1,413 examinations of 139 children defined as Guatemalan, on the basis of their having four grandparents who were Guatemalan born and who possessed Spanish surnames. These children differed significantly in the frequency of the ABO phenotypes from classmates of either European or North American ancestry, and from relatively-unmixed Indians of the western Highlands. The study sample is drawn from the highest socio-economic levels of the country and enjoys an environment of correspondingly high quality. The data display differences from widely used standards based upon the growth of North American children raised in the United States and may be used as standards and controls for other studies as well as for growth norms for individual children.

Recommended Citation

Johnston, Francis E.; Borden, Michael; and MacVean, Robert B. (1973) "Height, Weight, and Their Growth Velocities in Guatemalan Private School Children of High Socioeconomic Class," Human Biology: Vol. 45: Iss. 4, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol45/iss4/10