Growth channels in pubertal girls

Growth and development of girls from Zagreb (age 11.5 to 14.5 years) was prospectively followed through 22 anthropometric and 4 physical (spirometric) measurements under longitudinal study, experimental design. The performed research indicates that the physical/physiological growth in the pubertal stage girls occured in the frame of growth channels, defined by three morpho-respiratory groups (clusters). Groups were formed in initial stage - at the age of 11.5 years, according to morphological and respiratory similarities among observed girls by means of hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method). The discriminant analysis showed the statistically significant differences between defined groups during the entire period under observation. The differences among groups were explained in greatest portion by the variables representing the anthropometric measurements of the soft tissue characteristics.