Comparison of body weight, body height and body fatness of Italian children aged 6-12 years with American standards.

World Health Organization has suggested that American standards may be adopted for use in countries where no local reference data are available. Since no locally accepted growth standard is available in Italy, this study investigated if American growth curves for weight, height and triceps skinfold (TSF) provide reliable values for Italian children. Weight, height and TSF were measured in 1273 Italian children (boys: 656, girls: 617) ranging in age from 6 to 12 years and their percentiles were compared with that provided by NCHS for American children. Despite some minor differences, it is shown that American standards can be used safely in Italian children aged from 6 to 12 years.