Anthropometric Profile, Biological Maturation, and Nutritional Status in Schoolchildren from Neiva, Huila, Colombia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Maturity Offset and the Double Burden of Malnutrition
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Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to characterize anthropometric indicators, biological maturation status, and nutritional patterns in schoolchildren from Neiva, Huila, Colombia. A total of 193 participants (108 males and 85 females) were evaluated. Biological maturation was estimated using the Maturity Offset (MO) method, and Age at Peak Height Velocity (APHV) was calculated using the Moore model based on chronological age and stature.
Mean APHV was 14.18 ± 0.69 years in males and 12.52 ± 0.41 years in females, indicating that males were, on average, in the Circa-PHV stage, whereas females had progressed to the Post-PHV stage. A Double Burden of Malnutrition was identified, characterized by the coexistence of underweight and overweight/obesity within the same population. Correlation analysis revealed weak associations between MO and adiposity indicators, particularly body mass index (p ≤ 0.357), suggesting a decoupling between skeletal maturation and fat mass accumulation.
These findings indicate that biological maturation follows a trajectory largely independent of adiposity and underscore the importance of incorporating biological age into nutritional assessment and exercise prescription. Given the historical nature of the dataset (2013), updated longitudinal studies are required to monitor secular trends in growth, maturation, and nutritional status in this region.
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