Background and aim: Numerous recent studies measure catch-up growth by regressing adult or preadolescent
height on early childhood height. Using simple statistical theory and data from a healthy
and well-nourished population, this paper shows that these tests are uninformative about the extent of
catch-up growth. The study also provides new empirical evidence on pubertal catch-up growth using
longitudinal data for rural Tanzania.
Subjects and methods: The 1970 British Cohort Study is used to demonstrate the flaws in the recent
literature using regression techniques to study catch-up growth. The data for the empirical analysis
come from the Kagera Health and Development survey – a longitudinal study spanning two decades.
The final sample includes 540 children whose heights are measured in early childhood and in
adulthood. Catch-up growth is measured as the change in height-for-age z-score over time.
Results: The mean HAZ-score in the cohort improves from -1.86 in early childhood to -1.20 in
adulthood. Without catch-up growth, children would have been 4.5 to 5 centimetres shorter adults.
Graphical analysis shows that most of this catch-up growth takes place in puberty.
Conclusion: Catch-up growth after early childhood is possible. Puberty seems to offer an opportunity
window for recovery.