The aim: to evaluate the parallels between the socioeconomic factors and growth indices of preschool Lithuanian chil dren.
Material and methods. Longitudinal growth data (length/height, body weight) of children from Lithuanian towns at the different geographical regions (Vilnius, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Mažeikiai, Marijampolė) and the professions of parents’ were obtained from the medical records at the primary health care centres. Total research population: 497 boys and 507 girls, born in 1996. The classification of parent’s professions was performed according the international standard classification for professions ISCO-88. The average wages per month and the unemployment rate at the different geographical regions of Lithuania were analyzed from the yearbooks of the Statistical De - partment to the Government of Lithuanian Repub-ic. Data were computed ustng the standard statistical programmes (SPSS, Microsoft Excel), descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVA analyses were performed.
Results. The height of preschool children was more related with father’s profession than with the mother’s social status: the higher qualification of the father - the taller the child. However, mother’s profession was significantly re- ated with child’s body mass index (BMI): the higher qualification of the mother - the slimmer the daughter and the bigger BMI of the son. Also, there was certain rel ationship between growth indices and the average wage of the region: the higher average wage - the taller girls and the bigger BMI of boys. But the unemployment rate had no significant correlation with the growth indices of preschool Lithuanian chil dren.
Conclusions. All in all, our study showed certain correlation between growth indices and socioeconomic factors during the preschool ages. Nevertheless, it is necessary to initiate the larger study on numerous sub-groups of children with marginal socioeconomic status, to relate more diverse socioeconomic variables with child’s growth indices.
