Upper Quarter Y Balance test performance: Normative values for healthy youth aged 10 to 17 years

Background The Upper Quarter Y Balance test (YBT-UQ) is a field test for measuring shoulder mobility/stability. However, there is a lack of information regarding age- and sex-specific reference values for classifying the YBT-UQ performance of children and adolescents. Objective The aim was to investigate YBT-UQ performance in youth and to provide age- and sex-specific normative values. Method Six hundred and sixty-five persons (325 girls, 340 boys) aged between 10 and 17 years carried out the YBT-UQ test. Following this, maximum reach values, normalised in terms of arm length, were calculated for each arm (i.e., left and right) and reach direction (i.e., medial [MD], inferolateral [IL], superolateral [SL]), and the composite score (CS) per arm. Additionally, percentiles were displayed graphically and in tabular form, distinguished according to age and gender. Results In boys, those aged 14–15 years showed a higher achievement (e.g., MD direction) compared with both younger (12–13-year-olds) and older (16–17-year-olds) persons. In girls, differences related to age could only be observed for the IL direction and the CS, where the youngest age group (10–11-year-olds) achieved better results than the older groups. Sex-specific differences to the girls’ advantage could be observed in 12–13-year-olds (i.e., SL and CS), and to the boys’ advantage in 14–15-year-olds (i.e., for all reach directions) and 16–17-year-olds (i.e., IL and SL direction and CS). Further, curvilinear developments were observed with regard to the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles, and were more strongly marked in boys than in girls. Conclusions The obtained age- and sex-specific normative values for the YBT-UQ can be used by teachers, coaches, and therapists to classify the level of shoulder mobility/stability among 10–17 year-old children and adolescents.

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The Occurrence of High Levels of Acute Behavioral Distress in Children and Adolescents Undergoing Routine Venipunctures

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.90.1.87 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 90 (1) ◽

pp. 87-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G. Bennett Humphrey ◽

Chris M. J. Boon ◽

G. F. E. Chiquit van Linden van den Heuvell ◽

Harry B. M. van de Wiel

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Age Group ◽

Loss Of Control ◽

Strong Relation ◽

And Gender ◽

Trained Observers ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Insight Into

While there is no question that children dislike needles, there are very little data available on the occurrence of high levels of distress experienced by children undergoing routine venipunctures. To provide some insight into this problem, trained observers evaluated distress in 223 different children and adolescents undergoing this procedure. An observational distress scale of 1 to 5 was developed; 1 = calm, 2 = timid/nervous, 3 = serious distress, but still under control, 4 = serious distress with loss of control, and 5 = panic. We observed a strong relation between distress and age but not between distress and gender. During the actual venipuncture. half the subjects (113/223) were scored as having high levels of distress (3 or more). Our subjects were also grouped into three age ranges: toddlers; 2½ to 6 years, N = 70; preadolescents; 7 to 12 years, N = 55; and adolescents; 12 years and older, N = 98. The percent of subjects experiencing high levels of distress for each age group were: 83%, 51%, and 28%, respectively. We conclude that for venipunctures: 1) high levels of distress are common, and 2) age and not gender correlates with distress. Other correlations are discussed. Toddlers and pre-adolescents should be the targets for new interventions to reduce distress.

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Cholesterol Screening in Pediatric Practice

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.88.2.250 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 88 (2) ◽

pp. 250-258

Author(s):

David C. Goff ◽

Ge A. Donker ◽

Darwin R. Labarthe ◽

Jesse D. Ragan ◽

A. Thomas Adkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Specific Reference ◽

Group Practice ◽

Age Group ◽

High Cholesterol ◽

Pediatric Practice ◽

Screening Criteria ◽

Sibling Pairs ◽

Cholesterol Screening ◽

Cholesterol Levels ◽

Age And Sex

Four pediatricians introduced a portable cholesterol analyzer into their group practice. Their experience is described on the basis of 12 months of screening in 1665 children and adolescents. The overall 50th and 90th percentile values for a subgroup of 1406 routinely screened children were 156 and 197 mg/dL, respectively, but there was marked variation in these values among specific age and sex groups. Cholesterol levels decreased by age group during the early teenage years and increased thereafter, these changes occurring at ages approximately 2 years younger for girls than for boys. Further analysis of screening results for 398 sibling pairs demonstrated significant concordance between paired cholesterol levels when classified by the respective age- and sex-specific 90th percentile values for each member of the pair. Sibling pairs in which both members' cholesterol values exceeded their 90th percentile value were identified 2.4 times as frequently as expected (confidence interval 1.1 to 4.5, P = .029). The observations reported here indicate that office-based cholesterol screening in a pediatric practice may be both practical and useful, although further consideration of screening criteria is needed. Age- and sex-specific reference values for cholesterol levels during childhood could improve screening results. Special emphasis should be directed toward screening siblings of children in whom high cholesterol levels have been detected.

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Prevalence and temporal trends of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Jilin, Northeast China, 2011-2015

10.7287/peerj.preprints.3207 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Li ◽

Zhijun Li ◽

Qing Sun ◽

Mengying Wang ◽

Meng Jiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Northeast China ◽

National Level ◽

Temporal Trends ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Age Group ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

Obesity Epidemic ◽

And Gender

Objective: In China, the obesity epidemic is truly national and childhood obesity prevalence has rapidly increased and is close to the developed countries. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and temporal trends of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Jilin City, China (2011-2015). Methods: The data derived from the census on students’ constitution and health in 2011-2015 carried out by the Jilin CDC, Jilin City. 191191 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years were included in the present survey, of which 37549 in 2011 to 41564 in the 2015. The newly developed age- and gender-specific BMI cutoffs by the working group on obesity in China were used to define overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Results: The mean of BMI (body mass index) was significantly increasing from 20.9 kg/m2 in 2011 to 21.5 kg/m2 in 2015 in all subjects. Overweight and Obesity prevalence of total students aged 7-18 years had a significantly increasing from 2012 to 2015 (P<0.001), from 16.0% and 13.1% to 17.1% and 17.1%. The minimum value of BMI and overweight and obesity prevalence in overall age group all presented in 2012. Boys and girls all showed the significant increase in overweight and obesity prevalence in every age group from 2012 to 2015 and boys higher than girls (P<0.001). Regardless of girls and boys, the most likely of children and adolescents being overweight and obesity had been observed in the youngest age and lowest school grade category. Conclusion: In summary, our results indicate that all the overweight and obesity prevalence among children and adolescents over the past 5 years were higher than the 2010 Chinese National Level and Chinese large coastal cities’ level and a significantly increase from 2011-2015. Obesity epidemic is serious, at least not optimistic among children and adolescents in Jilin, Northeast China.

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Serum and Urinary Osteocalcin in Healthy 7- to 19-Year-Old Finnish Children and Adolescents

Frontiers in Pediatrics ◽

10.3389/fped.2021.610227 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Päivi M. Paldánius ◽

Kaisa K. Ivaska ◽

Outi Mäkitie ◽

Heli Viljakainen

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Bone Turnover ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Bone Turnover Marker ◽

High Growth ◽

Reference Intervals ◽

Normative Values ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Mineral Density ◽

The Impact

Children and adolescents have high bone turnover marker (BTM) levels due to high growth velocity and rapid bone turnover. Pediatric normative values for BTMs reflecting bone formation and resorption are vital for timely assessment of healthy bone turnover, investigating skeletal diseases, or monitoring treatment outcomes. Optimally, clinically feasible measurement protocols for BTMs would be validated and measurable in both urine and serum. We aimed to (a) establish sex- and age-specific reference intervals for urinary and serum total and carboxylated osteocalcin (OC) in 7- to 19-year-old healthy Finnish children and adolescents (n = 172), (b) validate these against standardized serum and urinary BTMs, and (c) assess the impact of anthropometry, pubertal status, and body composition on the OC values. All OC values in addition to other BTMs increased with puberty and correlated with pubertal growth, which occurred and declined earlier in girls than in boys. The mean serum total and carboxylated OC and urinary OC values and percentiles for sex-specific age categories and pubertal stages were established. Correlation between serum and urinary OC was weak, especially in younger boys, but improved with increasing age. The independent determinants for OC varied, the urinary OC being the most robust while age, height, weight, and plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) influenced serum total and carboxylated OC values. Body composition parameters had no influence on any of the OC values. In children and adolescents, circulating and urinary OC reflect more accurately growth status than bone mineral density (BMD) or body composition. Thus, validity of OC, similar to other BTMs, as a single marker of bone turnover, remains limited. Yet, serum and urinary OC similarly to other BTMs provide a valuable supplementary tool when assessing longitudinal changes in bone health with repeat measurements, in combination with other clinically relevant parameters.

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Age-specific and sex-specific reference intervals for non-fasting lipids and apolipoproteins in 7260 healthy Chinese children and adolescents measured with an Olympus AU5400 analyser: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030201 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. e030201

Author(s):

Junjie Liu ◽

Yanpeng Dai ◽

Enwu Yuan ◽

Yushan Li ◽

Quanxian Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Reference Intervals ◽

Chinese Children ◽

Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Healthy Chinese ◽

And Gender ◽

Gender Specific ◽

Chinese Children And Adolescents

AimsEthnic, demographic, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors influence lipids and apolipoproteins. The aim of this study was to establish age-specific and gender-specific reference intervals for non-fasting lipids and apolipoproteins in healthy Chinese children and adolescents.MethodsThis study followed the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute EP28-A3c guidelines. Non-fasting samples were collected from 7260 healthy Chinese children and adolescents, and they were analysed using the Olympus AU5400 analyser for: triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). The age-related and gender-related reference intervals were partitioned using the Harris-Boyd method. The non-parametric method was used to establish the lower limit (2.5th percentile) and the upper limit (97.5th percentile) for the reference intervals. The 90% CIs for the lower and upper limits were also calculated.ResultsBased on the Harris-Boyd method, gender partitions were required for TC, LDL-C and ApoB. Age differences were observed for all analytes. Paediatric reference intervals were established for non-fasting lipids and apolipoproteins based on a large population of healthy children and adolescents.ConclusionsPreviously used reference intervals did not take age and gender into account. These age-specific and gender-specific reference intervals established in this study may contribute to improved management and assessment of paediatric diseases.

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Fertility preservation options for children and adolescents with cancer

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.4410 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (1-2S) ◽

pp. 97 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Rodrigo L.P. Romao ◽

Armando J. Lorenzo

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Fertility Preservation ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Testicular Tissue ◽

Age Group ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Target Groups ◽

Patient Advocates ◽

And Gender ◽

Female Fertility Preservation

Introduction: Cancer in children and adolescents has seen a stark rise in survival rates in the last decades; overall survival in excess of 80% can be reasonably expected for many newly diagnosed patients with malignancies in this age group. Survivorship has unfolded several specific issues faced by these patients, including fertility concerns. Hence, fertility preservation efforts have been discussed and undertaken with increased frequency.Methods: In this article, the authors provide a broad overview of the current recommendations surrounding fertility preservation in this patient population. Reasons to offer fertility preservation, target groups for interventions, and methods available based on age group and gender are discussed in detail.Results: The medical literature and patient advocates strongly support a discussion about fertility preservation at the time of diagnosis; the risk of infertility is real and parents and families wish to be informed about it. In postpubertal males, sperm-banking is relatively straightforward and should be attempted by most newly diagnosed patients, ideally before commencement of treatment. Cryopreservation of testicular tissue in higher-risk prepubertal males is feasible, but still experimental. Female fertility preservation is more complex, requires more invasive procedures, and can delay initiation of treatment due to the requirement for hormone stimulation of follicles prior to harvesting.Conclusions: Oncofertility initiatives in children and youth are still in their early days and will continue to expand; urologists should be prepared to offer counselling and interventions when appropriate to this growing vulnerable population.

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NORMATIVE VALUES OF LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY FOR NIGERIANS USING THE MODIFIED SIT-AND-REACH TEST

Journal of Musculoskeletal Research ◽

10.1142/s0218957712500157 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 15 (03) ◽

pp. 1250015 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Babatunde O. A. Adegoke ◽

Godwin A. Akpan ◽

Chidozie E. Mbada

Keyword(s):

Normative Data ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Test Methods ◽

Normative Values ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Lower Back ◽

And Gender ◽

Hamstring Flexibility ◽

Multistage Sampling

Purpose: Dearth of population-specific reference values is a limitation in the assessment of lower back and hamstrings flexibility. This study sought to establish a gender and age normative data for lower back and hamstrings flexibility in healthy Nigerians using the modified sit-and-reach test. Methods: This study involved 4000 (1988 males and 2012 females) participants recruited using multistage sampling technique. The participants' whose ages ranged between 5 and 61 years were grouped into 12 age strata. The Acuflex-1 tester (modified sit-and-reach box) was used to assess lower back and hamstring flexibility following standardized procedures. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, percentiles. Results: The mean of the modified sit-and-reach test scores (MSRTS) differed significantly between the sexes (p = 0.001). MSRTS increased with age up to age of 15–19 years for male, and 30–39 years for female. There were age and gender variations in the percentile normative values of MSRTS for each of the 16 age categories. Conclusion: This study established a population-specific normative data according to age and gender for lower back and hamstrings flexibility using the modified sit-and-reach test for healthy Nigerians. In general, females had better lower back and hamstrings flexibility than males.

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Age- and Sex-Specific Reference Intervals for Myocardial Enzyme Activity in Healthy Chinese Han Population Aged 1∼<18 years

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/2018598 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wenjia Guo ◽

Qi Zhou ◽

Yanan Jia ◽

Jiancheng Xu

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Reference Intervals ◽

Integrated System ◽

Chinese Han Population ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Chinese Han ◽

Han Population ◽

Healthy Chinese ◽

Age And Sex

Age- and sex-specific reference intervals (RIs) for myocardial enzyme activity of children and adolescents are not available in China. Our study aimed to establish age- and gender-related RIs for AST, LDH, CK, and CKMB activity in healthy Chinese Han population aged 1∼<18 years. Healthy Han children and adolescents (n = 6322, 1∼<18 years old) were assessed from completed questionnaires and defined criteria from communities and schools in 5 administrative districts of Jilin Province from September 2017 to December 2018. Measurements of AST, LDH, CK, and CKMB activity were performed on the VITROS 5600 Integrated System. Percentiles of enzyme activity were completed by LMS. RIs were established by Medcalc according to the EP28-A3c guidelines issued by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. AST declined rapidly during 1∼<6 years and had been subsided during 11∼<18 years, though LDH decreased at a steady rate. CK activity stabilized while CKMB showed a downward trend. Sex differences started after age 12 when males presented higher results. There were significant differences comparing with domestic and other countries’ experiments which applied similar methodologies. Enzymes were associated with age and sex, while age had greater impact. We established age- and sex-specific RIs of serum AST, LDH, CK, and CKMB activities for Chinese children and adolescents using the VITROS 5600 Integrated System for the first time. These data will lay the groundwork for the next horizon in pediatric RIs as well as improve test result interpretation for pediatric illness.

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Balance Performance across the Lifespan Assessed by the Leonardo Mechanograph®: A Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology ◽

10.3390/jfmk5010001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Wiegmann ◽

Felsenberg ◽

Gast ◽

Börst ◽

Armbrecht ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Normative Values ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Age And Sex

Reference values of sway parameters have not been published for the Leonardo mechanograph® so far. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine normative values on postural control measured by the force plate Leonardo Mechanograph® and to analyze the influence of age and sex on balance performance. A set of standardized standing positions with eyes opened (Romberg, semi-tandem, tandem, unipedal standing) was carried out. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to detect age-and sex-related differences in center of pressure (COP) parameters (path length, velocity, elliptical area, anterior-posterior, and medio-lateral directions). Measurements were available for 570 subjects aged 20–86 years. Statistical analysis showed a high effect of age group on postural control (partial n² between 0.1 and 0.4) with a U-shaped dependency between postural control and age for all area- and path-related COP parameters, with the largest sway in the youngest (aged 20–40) and the oldest age group (aged 60–86). For velocity of COP, a linear deterioration with increasing age was found. Medio-lateral components of COP are likely to indicate the extent of postural control. Significant sex differences were not clearly supported by current findings. Age- and sex-related normative values are a useful resource for diagnostic, research, and training.

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Cognitive Performance among Cognitively Healthy Adults Aged 30–100 Years

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra ◽

10.1159/000495657 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 11-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Minna Alenius ◽

Sanna Koskinen ◽

Ilona Hallikainen ◽

Tiia Ngandu ◽

Jari Lipsanen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Performance ◽

Verbal Memory ◽

Test Performance ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Word List ◽

Education Level ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Normative Values ◽

And Gender

Background/Aims: To detect cognitive decline in older adults, measures of verbal fluency and verbal memory are widely used. Less is known about performance in these measures in younger persons or according to education level and gender. We investigated cognitive performance according to age, education and gender among cognitively healthy adults aged 30–100 years. Methods: The study population comprised 4,174 cognitively healthy persons participating in the nationally representative Finnish Health 2011 survey. Cognitive assessment included verbal fluency, word list memory, word list recall and word list savings from the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease neuropsychological battery. Results: Total variance in the cognitive test performance explained by age, education and gender varied from 12.3 to 31.2%. A decreasing trend in cognitive performance existed in all subtests by advancing age, with differences appearing between 50 and 55 years. Persons with the highest-education level performed best for all measures. For the participants < 55 years, education explained part of the variance, while age and gender did not. Conclusions: When assessing cognition, age and education should be accounted for in more detail in research and clinical practice. Additionally, the cohort effect and its potential impact on the renewal cycle of future normative values for cognitive tests should be considered.

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