ABSTRACT

The study investigated the variation in some biochemical parameters during adolescents growth spurt in an Urban and Rural South Eastern Nigeria locality. Adolescent males (123) and females (112) aged between 9 and 16 years drawn from Ohafia, a rural locality and Umuahia, an urban locality in Abia State were recruited for the study. Plasma alkaline phosphatase, calcium and albumin were measured using standard methods. In the rural setting, peak alkaline phosphatase activity (68.59 ± 26.3611J1L and 57.33 ± 26.55 lU/L for males and females respectively) was observed at l4years. Mean heights at which this peak was observed were 1.46 + 0.lOm for males and 1.57 ± 0.05m for females. In the urban setting, male adolescents had peak alkaline phosphatase activity (79.28 ± 9.63 lU/L) at l5years, while their female counterparts had peak alkaline phosphatase activity (68.21 ± 16.29 lU/L) at l2years. Mean heights at which this peak was observed were 1.56 ± 0.05m and 1.48 ± 0.05m respectively. Peak calcium concentration (11.38 ± 0.87mg/loom!) was obtained at 12years in rural males and l4years in rural females. Males in Umuahia (Urban) had peak plasma calcium concentration (11.22 ± 0.27mg/lOOm!) at l0years, females had peak plasma calcium concentration (10.65 ± 0. 17mg/lOOm!) at 9years. Plasma albumin concentration varied with age, but was highest at years in both male and female rural adolescents. In the urban area, plasma albumin concentration was found to be highest (38.80 ± 3.60g/L and 36.11 ± 3.46gfL) for 15years in males and l0years in females respectively. At 9,11,12,13 and 16 years, alkaline phosphatase activity for males in the urban area did not differ significantly (P>O.05) from that of their rural counterparts. At 10 and 15years, urban males had significantly (P<0.05) higher alkaline phosphatase activity compared to their rural counterparts. At 10, 12, 13 and 16 years, alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly (P< 0.05) higher in adolescent females in the urban area compared to their rural counterparts. These findings provide the mean age of growth spurt in apparently healthy urban and rural South Eastern Nigerian adolescents. The mean growth spurt was found to be delayed in rural female adolescents compared to their urban counterparts, while in males the mean age of growth spurt was found to be higher in urban compared to rural adolescents.