改訂的生長曲線圖：台灣地區，1997

The reference charts of weight and height currently used in Taiwan were published in 1982. In recent years, there has been an increasing concern that they may not adequately describe the growth of Taiwanese children. Revised growth charts are now available, and they are based on the combined data from two sources: the Ministry of Education and the Department of Health. These data were collected from children at birth to 6 years old and from children and adolescents 7 to 18 years old, using two island-wide crosssectional surveys in 1997. Comparing the revised charts with two previous charts from 15 and 32 years ago, respectively, we found that the physical growth of children in Taiwan has increased. The growth patterns from birth to 6 years were almost identical to those of the NCHS/WHO standards. Some differences exist, however, for the children and adolescents from 7 to 18 years old. It is notable that the median weight of 7 to 15 years old males now exceeds the NCHS/WHO standards. Although the growth charts give healthcare providers with reliable, up-to-date records for the assessment of physical growth, correct measurements with proper recording, plotting and interpretation should be emphasized for use in community surveys and physicians' practices. The revised weight-for-length constants computed from the median values of weight and height are used for calculating weight-for-length index and screening childhood obesity.