GROWTH CHANNELS IN PUBERTAL GIRLS

Growth and development of girls from Zagreb (age 11.5 to 14.5 years) w as prospectively followed through 22 anthropometric and 4 physical (sp irometric) measurements under longitudinal study, experimental design. The performed research indicates that the physical/physiological grow th in the pubertal stage girls occured in the frame of growth channels , defined by three morpho-respiratory groups (clusters). Groups were f ormed in initial stage - at the age of 11.5 years, according to morpho logical and respiratory similarities among observed girls by means of hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method). The discriminant analys is showed the statistically significant differences between defined gr oups during the entire period under observation. The differences among groups were explained in greatest portion by the variables representi ng the anthropometric measurements of the soft tissue characteristics.