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5. DOES BIRTH ORDER REALLY MATTER? ASSOCIATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRICS IN CHILDREN FROM THE GREATER BILBAO (SPAIN)

DOES BIRTH ORDER REALLY MATTER? ASSOCIATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRICS IN CHILDREN FROM THE GREATER BILBAO (SPAIN)

Jelenkovic Aline (1,2,3), Esther Rebato (1)

1) Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain; 2) IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain; 3) Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Jelenkovic Aline, e-mail: aline.jelenkovic@ehu.es.

Abstract

Birth order has been related to the anthropometric variation both in children and adults, but the evidence is still inconsistent. Examining the relationship in different populations may lead to improved insight. We aim to determine the associations between birth order and a set of anthropometric traits defining body morphology and composition. The sample consisted of 847 children (2¬19 years) from 533 nuclear families living in the Greater Bilbao (Spain). Simple measures and derived variables [stature, iliospinal height, weight, body mass index (BMI), trunk/extremity skinfolds ratio (TER), sum of 4 circumferences (CC4), sum of 6 skinfolds (SF6), and the three components of the Heath¬Carter’s anthropometric somatotype (endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy)] were z¬scored for age, separately by sex. Associations were analysed using linear multivariate regression models controlling for different covariates and p¬values were adjusted for clustering of siblings within families. Overall, very few associations were statistically significant at p<0.05. Third¬born boys were associated with greater iliospinal height z¬score (0.38, p=0.04) and stature z¬score (0.37, p=0.06) than first¬borns. After adjustment for parental education, second¬born girls showed reduced SF6 (¬0.21, p=0.32) and endomorphy z¬scores (¬0.20, p=0.37) but greater ectomorphy (0.19, p=0.05) than first¬borns. Additional adjustment for maternal age slightly attenuated the associations. In conclusion, birth order showed a tendency towards a positive association with vertical dimensions in boys and negative with adiposity in girls. Our findings do not support an association of birth order with weight, BMI, TER, mesomorphy and CC4.

Keywords

anthropometrics, birth order, body composition, children, siblings, vertical dimensions

Цит.: Jelenkovic Aline, Esther Rebato DOES BIRTH ORDER REALLY MATTER? ASSOCIATION WITH ANTHROPOMETRICS IN CHILDREN FROM THE GREATER BILBAO (SPAIN) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 54-54