In an Aboriginal birth cohort, only child size and not birth size, predicts insulin and glucose concentrations in childhood

The objectives were to describe cross-sectional growth in 279 Australian Aboriginal children aged 8–14 years in order to testthe hypothesis that birth size interacts with child size to predict glucose and insulin metabolism. Cross-sectional growth outcomeswere described using standard deviation scores or z-scores for height for age (HAZ) and weight for age (WAZ) calculated fromCDC 2000 reference values in Epi Info 2000.Interrelationships were examined using standard regression models with current height and weight and birth weight, ponderalindex and birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age. All models were adjusted for gestational age, gender andchronological age. Growth outcomes were poor with negative mean z scores for height and weight. Children with a birth weight