Idade óssea em relação à idade cronológica em crianças do sexo masculino e praticantes de futebol, residentes em diferentes países

Abstract

Growth and sexual maturation are complex processes that can serve as indicators of the health of children and adolescents. In this sense, chronological age is not recognized as an indicator appropriate time, it is not always sensitive to individual changes caused by maturation process. Already a bone age has been considered a benchmark in determining the biological age. Thus, this study aims to analyze the variability in bone age compared with chronological age in male children and play soccer in the same age group and living in different countries. The sample consisted of prepubertal and pubertal male, aged 8-14 years. These children are living in Brazil, Spain and Mexico, totaling thirty-three individuals (n = 33) and 12 in Brazil, six in Spain and 15 in Mexico. The mathematical model proposed by Cabral (2011) was used to measure bone maturation. We performed the Wilcoxon test to analyze the variability in bone age compared with chronological age in children living in different countries. In statistics performed between groups, or between countries, there is no support to ensure equality between chronological age and bone age. The same happens in Brazil and Mexico, when analyzed separately, comparing components of the football team from each country. In Spain, there was a significant guarantee that chronological age is different bone age.