All issues > Volume 51(1); 2008

Review Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(1):1-25. Published online January 15, 2008.

2007 Korean National Growth Charts: review of developmental process and an outlook

Jin Soo JS Moon¹, Soon Young SY Lee², Chung Mo CM Nam², Joong-Myung JM Choi¹, Bong-Keun BK Choe³, Jeong-Wan JW Seo², Kyungwon KW Oh⁴, Myoung-Jin MJ Jang⁵, Seung-Sik SS Hwang⁵, Myung Hwan MH Yoo⁵, Young Taek YT Kim⁴, Chong Guk CG Lee¹

¹The Committee for the Development of Growth Standard for Korean Children and Adolescents, The Committee for School Health and Public Health Statistics, The Korean Pediatric Society
²The Committee for the Development of Growth Standard for Korean Children and Adolescents
³The Committee for School Health and Public Health Statistics, The Korean Pediatric Society
⁴he Committee for School Health and Public Health Statistics, The Korean Pediatric Society Division of Chronic Disease Surveillance, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
⁵The Committee for School Health and Public Health Statistics, The Korean Pediatric Society

Correspondence Young Taek YT Kim ,Email: ruyoung@cdc.go.kr
Chong Guk CG Lee ,Email: chonglee@ilsanpaik.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Since 1967, The Korean Pediatric Society and Korean Government have developed Korean Growth Standards every 10 years. Last version was published in 1998. During past 40 years, Korean Growth Standards were mainly descriptive charts without any systematic nor statistical standardization. With the global epidemic of obesity, many authorities such as World Health Organization (WHO) and United States' Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been changed their principles of growth charts to cope with the situations like ours. This article summarizes and reviews the whole developmental process of new 2007 Korean Growth Charts with discussion.
Methods
: With the initiative of Division of Chronic Disease Surveillance in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have performed new national survey for the development of new Standards in 2005 and identified marked increase of childhood obesity and plateau of secular increment of final height in late adolescents. We have developed new Growth Standards via adapting several innovative methods, including standardization of all available raw data, which were acquired in 1997 and 2005 national survey and full application of LMS method.
Results
: We could get new standardized charts; weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, weight-for- height, head circumference-for-age and BMI-for-age. Other non-standardized charts based on 2005 survey data were also published; waist circumference-for-age, mid-arm circumference-for-age, chest circumference-for-age and skinfold-for-age. Clinical guideline was also developed.
Conclusion
: Developmental process and results of new Korean Growth Charts are comparable with other internationally well-known Growth Standards, WHO 2006 Growth Standards and CDC Growth Charts. 2007 Korean Growth Charts are relevant especially in Korea and Korean ethnic groups.

Keywords :Korea, Growth, Standard, Weight, Height, Obesity