GROWTH PATTERNS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: THE ROLE OF AGE, GENDER, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS.

Background Monitoring childhood growth is essential for early identification of nutritional and health-related disparities. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) are key determinants of physical development, yet region-specific data on their combined influence remain limited in South Asia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of age, gender, and SES on anthropometric parameters—weight, height, and body mass index (BMI)—among primary school children in Bangladesh, and to explore disparities in growth patterns across different demographic groups. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 children (150 boys, 150 girls) from grades one to five in six purposively selected schools representing urban, suburban, and rural settings in Dhaka. Anthropometric data were collected using standardized procedures. SES was assessed through a structured questionnaire incorporating household income, parental education, and occupation. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests, and Pearson correlation. Results Anthropometric measures increased progressively with age, with significant differences in BMI across grade levels (F(4, 295) = 17.879, p < 0.001). No statistically significant gender differences were observed in weight, height, or BMI (p > 0.05). SES significantly influenced physical development; children from higher SES backgrounds had greater mean weight and height than those from lower SES groups (p < 0.001). Correlation analysis revealed strong associations between SES and both weight (r ≈ 0.7) and height (r ≈ 0.6), while BMI was moderately associated with weight (r ≈ 0.6) and inversely with height (r ≈ –0.3). The study highlights age-related growth trends and significant SES-based disparities in physical development among Bangladeshi schoolchildren. Conclusion These findings underscore the need for targeted public health policies, nutritional interventions, and school-based monitoring programs to address inequalities in child growth and ensure equitable development opportunities.