International Journal of Physiology
  • Year: 2014
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 1

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate as a Function of Anthropometric Variables in Tribal School Children

  • Author:
  • Magna Manjareeka1,, Jayanti Mishra2, Sitikantha Nanda3, Soumya Mishra4, Rajesh Kumar Padhi5
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 4 to 8

1Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, KIMS, KIIT University, Odisha, India

2Professor, Department of Physiology, KIMS, KIIT University, Odisha, India

3DNB, Department of Medicine, Central Hospital, South Eastern Railways, Kolkata, India

4Post Graduate, Department of Physiology, KIMS, KIIT University, Odisha, India

5Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, KIMS, KIIT University, Odisha, India

*Corresponding author: Magna Manjareeka, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, KIMS, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Phone No. + 918895618871. Email: dr.magna@gmail.com, mikisiti_magna@yahoo.co.in

Online published on 4 April, 2014.

Abstract

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) is a simple and easy way to assess the ventilatory function of lungs. This study aims at correlating PEFR of age-matched tribal boys and girls of Odisha with certain anthropometric parameters like body surface area (BSA), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and waist hip ratio (WHR).

It is a cross-sectional study conducted at a residential school in Bhubaneswar during October 2011 - January 2012. Of the 1000 children examined, 868 (464 - boys and 404 - girls) participants were included after exclusion. The above mentioned anthropometric parameters and PEFR were measured using standard procedures.

Statistically significant differences in the HC in centimetres (70.87 ± 5.6 vs 72.77 ± 6.5, P < 0.05), WHR (0.96 ± 0.04 vs 0.94 ± 0.04, P < 0.005) and PEFR in L/min (255.3 ± 65.6 vs 210.6 ± 55.7, P < 0.005) between boys and girls were observed; boys showed stronger correlation with the variables than the girls did. There was a negative correlation between PEFR and WHR which was significant in boys. The sub-tribes of Santala, Munda and Kandha showed statistically significant positive correlation between PEFR and other parameters except WHR which showed a significant negative correlation with PEFR in the Munda sub-tribe. WC and HC were best correlated with PEFR in the Bonda group.

The mean observed PEFR and the predicted PEFR are in good agreement statistically.

Keywords

PEFR, Waist Circumference, Hip Circumference, Waist Hip Ratio, Tribe