Preschool weights and heights of Europeans and five subgroups of Asians in Britain.

A R Gatrad, N Birch, M Hughes

Manor Hospital, Walsall.

Heights and weights of five subgroups of Asian (545) and European children (685) were recorded after birth, at 1 year, 2 years, and at 5 years. Asian children were divided into Muslim Gujarati, Muslim Pakistani, Muslim Bangladeshi, Hindu, and Sikh. Although the Europeans were significantly the heaviest at birth (3.42 kg boys and 3.26 kg girls) when compared with any of the other groups, it was the Sikhs who had the best weight gain. They were also the heaviest at 5 years when compared with other groups, including the Europeans (20.13 kg and 19.22 kg for Sikh boys and girls respectively compared with 18.83 kg and 18.42 kg for European boys and girls respectively). Hindus had the lightest birth weight. Their weight at 5 years (17.41 kg boys and 16.93 kg girls) and that of the Muslim Gujaratis (17.27 kg boys and 17.20 kg girls) was comparable and was lowest, whereas that of the Bangladeshis at this age was the greatest among the Muslims (18.56 kg for boys and 17.87 kg for girls). Sikh boys and girls were found to be the tallest of all the groups, including the Europeans, at all periods of measurements--including at 5 years when the Sikh boys and girls were 3 cm and 1.5 cm taller than the European boys and girls. Hindus were the shortest of all the groups throughout the period of study.

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