Effects of genetic and environmental factors on body height and proportion of children and adolescents

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2021.0079

Abstract

Abstract:

Most of the studies on sitting height(h), lower limb length(L), and their ratio(h/L) were based on non-twin populations. To understand the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on the sitting height, lower limb length and the ratio of sitting height to lower limb length of children and adolescents, we measured their standing height(H) and sitting height of 796 pairs of twins aged 6-18 years old, and computed their lower limb length and the ratio of h and L. Genetic analyses was done using structural equation models. After adjusting the age, the degree of heritability(d) of h and L in the 15-18 years old group(0.63≤d<0.78) was higher than that for h and L in other younger age groups(0.31≤d<0.68) in both sexes; the heritability of h/L in boys(0.16≤d<0.46) and girls (0.21≤d<0.57) was low except for that of h/L in girls (d=0.84) aged 9-11 years. Our study findings show that common and unique environmental factors exerted a stronger influence on these anthropometric measurements in children and adolescents aged 6-14 years, suggesting during the period of rapid growth, their h, L and h/L are more sensitive to environmental effects. When individuals approached maturity, the genetic effects became stronger.

Key words: Body proportions, Development, Twins, Heritability

CLC Number:

Q983

LIU Yan, LI Yuling. Effects of genetic and environmental factors on body height and proportion of children and adolescents[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2022, 41(05): 875-882.

Figures/Tables 6

References 25

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年龄组 Age group(a)	变量Variable	男Male		女Female
年龄组 Age group(a)	变量Variable	同卵双生子MZ	异卵双生子DZ	同卵双生子MZ	异卵双生子DZ
6~8	n (%)	116 (29.74%)	70 (17.95%)	114 (29.23%)	90 (23.08%)
	年龄Age (a)	7.14±0.84	7.09±0.78	7.25±0.74	7.13±0.81
	坐高h(cm)	69.65±3.54	69.40±2.67	68.87±3.13*	67.48±3.34
	下肢长 L (cm)	56.60±4.29	56.54±3.67	56.87±4.09*	55.03±4.54
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.23±0.07	1.23±0.07	1.21±0.06	1.23±0.07
9~11	n (%)	118 (29.21%)	74 (18.32%)	120 (29.70%)	92 (22.77%)
	年龄Age (a)	9.79±0.76*	10.05±0.84	10.07±0.83	10.02±0.77
	坐高 h(cm)	74.77±3.62**	76.23±4.04	75.86±4.59	76.02±4.37
	下肢长 L (cm)	64.30±4.04	65.67±5.50	65.80±4.57	65.22±4.79
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.17±0.06	1.16±0.05	1.15±0.05	1.17±0.06
12~14	n (%)	146 (33.64%)	70 (16.13%)	150 (34.56%)	68 (15.67%)
	年龄Age (a)	13.07±0.77*	12.80±0.86	13.01±0.81	12.76±0.88
	坐高 h(cm)	85.35±5.54*	83.45±5.57	83.32±3.75	82.65±4.15
	下肢长 L (cm)	75.98±4.44**	73.95±5.37	72.17±3.92	71.90±3.77
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.12±0.05	1.13±0.05	1.16±0.06	1.15±0.06
15~18	n (%)	122 (33.51%)	52 (14.29%)	136 (37.36%)	54 (14.84%)
	年龄Age (a)	16.36±1.09	16.31±1.11	16.10±1.02	16.19±1.13
	坐高 h(cm)	92.33±3.70	91.60±3.96	87.10±3.33	86.07±3.36
	下肢长 L (cm)	80.07±3.75	79.94±3.31	73.78±3.56	73.06±4.67
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.15±0.05	1.15±0.06	1.18±0.06	1.18±0.07

年龄组 Age group(a)	变量Variable	男Male		女Female
年龄组 Age group(a)	变量Variable	同卵双生子MZ	异卵双生子DZ	同卵双生子MZ	异卵双生子DZ
6~8	n (%)	116 (29.74%)	70 (17.95%)	114 (29.23%)	90 (23.08%)
	年龄Age (a)	7.14±0.84	7.09±0.78	7.25±0.74	7.13±0.81
	坐高h(cm)	69.65±3.54	69.40±2.67	68.87±3.13*	67.48±3.34
	下肢长 L (cm)	56.60±4.29	56.54±3.67	56.87±4.09*	55.03±4.54
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.23±0.07	1.23±0.07	1.21±0.06	1.23±0.07
9~11	n (%)	118 (29.21%)	74 (18.32%)	120 (29.70%)	92 (22.77%)
	年龄Age (a)	9.79±0.76*	10.05±0.84	10.07±0.83	10.02±0.77
	坐高 h(cm)	74.77±3.62**	76.23±4.04	75.86±4.59	76.02±4.37
	下肢长 L (cm)	64.30±4.04	65.67±5.50	65.80±4.57	65.22±4.79
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.17±0.06	1.16±0.05	1.15±0.05	1.17±0.06
12~14	n (%)	146 (33.64%)	70 (16.13%)	150 (34.56%)	68 (15.67%)
	年龄Age (a)	13.07±0.77*	12.80±0.86	13.01±0.81	12.76±0.88
	坐高 h(cm)	85.35±5.54*	83.45±5.57	83.32±3.75	82.65±4.15
	下肢长 L (cm)	75.98±4.44**	73.95±5.37	72.17±3.92	71.90±3.77
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.12±0.05	1.13±0.05	1.16±0.06	1.15±0.06
15~18	n (%)	122 (33.51%)	52 (14.29%)	136 (37.36%)	54 (14.84%)
	年龄Age (a)	16.36±1.09	16.31±1.11	16.10±1.02	16.19±1.13
	坐高 h(cm)	92.33±3.70	91.60±3.96	87.10±3.33	86.07±3.36
	下肢长 L (cm)	80.07±3.75	79.94±3.31	73.78±3.56	73.06±4.67
	坐高/下肢长 h/L	1.15±0.05	1.15±0.06	1.18±0.06	1.18±0.07

变量Variable	卵型Zygosity	男Male				女Female
变量Variable	卵型Zygosity	6~8 a	9~11 a	12~14 a	15~18 a	6~8 a	9~11 a	12~14 a	15~18 a
坐高 h	同卵双生MZ	0.87**	0.91**	0.96**	0.95**	0.82**	0.93**	0.92**	0.93**
	异卵双生DZ	0.55	0.62	0.60	0.50	0.54	0.57	0.73	0.67
下肢长 L	同卵双生MZ	0.81	0.84*	0.90**	0.83**	0.92**	0.92**	0.95**	0.91**
	异卵双生DZ	0.64	0.65	0.62	0.45	0.62	0.58	0.76	0.68
坐高/下肢长 h/L	同卵双生MZ	0.66	0.75	0.86**	0.79**	0.64	0.81	0.85**	0.77
	异卵双生DZ	0.62	0.54	0.54	0.31	0.43	0.69	0.63	0.58

变量Variable	卵型Zygosity	男Male				女Female
变量Variable	卵型Zygosity	6~8 a	9~11 a	12~14 a	15~18 a	6~8 a	9~11 a	12~14 a	15~18 a
坐高 h	同卵双生MZ	0.87**	0.91**	0.96**	0.95**	0.82**	0.93**	0.92**	0.93**
	异卵双生DZ	0.55	0.62	0.60	0.50	0.54	0.57	0.73	0.67
下肢长 L	同卵双生MZ	0.81	0.84*	0.90**	0.83**	0.92**	0.92**	0.95**	0.91**
	异卵双生DZ	0.64	0.65	0.62	0.45	0.62	0.58	0.76	0.68
坐高/下肢长 h/L	同卵双生MZ	0.66	0.75	0.86**	0.79**	0.64	0.81	0.85**	0.77
	异卵双生DZ	0.62	0.54	0.54	0.31	0.43	0.69	0.63	0.58

变量Variable	年龄组 Age group (a)	模型Model 1 (E_cf=0)						模型Model 2 (E_cm=E_cf)
		男Male			女Female			男Male			女Female
		E_a	E_c	E_e	E_a	E_c	E_e	E_a	E_c	E_e	E_a	E_c	E_e
坐高 h(cm)	6~8	0.58	0.28	0.14	0.81	—	0.19	0.58	0.28	0.14	0.52	0.29	0.19
	9~11	0.58	0.34	0.08	0.93	—	0.07	0.59	0.32	0.09	0.68	0.25	0.07
	12~14	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.67	0.29	0.04	0.44	0.49	0.07
	15~18	0.95	0	0.05	0.94	—	0.06	0.78	0.18	0.05	0.70	0.24	0.06
下肢长 L (cm)	6~8	0.28	0.52	0.19	0.92	—	0.08	0.31	0.49	0.20	0.57	0.35	0.08
	9~11	0.61	0.30	0.09	0.92	—	0.08	0.62	0.29	0.09	0.66	0.27	0.07
	12~14	0.64	0.27	0.09	0.94	—	0.06	0.52	0.40	0.09	0.43	0.52	0.05
	15~18	0.82	—	0.18	0.93	—	0.07	0.63	0.19	0.18	0.75	0.18	0.07
坐高/下肢长 h/L	6~8	—	0.65	0.35	0.66	—	0.34	0.16	0.48	0.36	0.21	0.42	0.36
	9~11	0.42	0.36	0.22	0.84	—	0.16	—	—	—	—	—	—
	12~14	0.54	0.33	0.14	0.87	—	0.13	0.46	0.40	0.13	0.57	0.30	0.13
	15~18	0.47	0.33	0.20	0.85	—	0.15	0.42	0.38	0.20	0.56	0.29	0.15