Survey on the variation of weight and height in children age under seven in Shanghai from 1975 to 2005

【Objective】 To observe the variation of the weight and height of children in Shanghai over 30 years,and find out the regularity of the children's physical development. 【Methods】 Investigating the weight and height of children aged 0~6 years old in Shanghai respectively in 1975,1985,1995 and 2005.22 groups were divided according to the age and more than 200 children were selected randomly in each group,including boys and girls,urban and rural(from 19 districts). 【Results】 ①The weight and height of children had sharply increased over these 30 years;②Both weight and height increased most from 1985 to 1995(in urban) and 1995 to 2005(in rural).Compared with the least increasing in urban was from 1995 to 2005(in the children age under 2) and 1975 to 1985(in the children above 2 years old),While 1975 to 1985 that in rural;③There were disparities in weight and height among children from urban and rural. The value of discrepancy in these two groups was increased in 1985 and 1995 when compared with 1975,but it was decreased obviously in 2005;④The weight and height of children in Shanghai urban and most of that in the rural exceeded the standard of WHO(1997),while only few of groups(rural) did not attain the standard in 2005. 【Conclusions】 ①The development of weight and height in children presents to the secular growth current.The velocity of increasing has decreased in the urban but still keep going up in the rural;②There was disparities in the development of weight and height in children among rural and urban;③The value of weight and height in Shanghai children excess or equal to the standard of WHO(1997).