Auxological
Analysis of Longitudinal Measurements of Human Stature
| R. Darrell Bock, University
of Chicago,
Stephen H. C. du Toit, University of Pretoria, & David
Thissen, University of North Carolina.
Fast, comprehensive
analysis of data from longitudinal growth studies is now available
on your desktop with the AUXAL program from SSI.
- Structural Analysis with the BTT Model or the JPA2 Model
- Nonstructural Analysis by Fourier Transform of Residuals
or Kernel Smoothing
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The program performs
both structural and nonstructural auxological analysis of
human growth in standing height or recumbent length. It provides
accurate fitting or smoothing of growth curves for height,
velocity, and acceleration and displays the height and velocity
curves in publication quality graphic output.
Maxima and minima
of velocity are located and described. Data from multiple
cases can be analyzed in one pass through the program and
the results summarized both longitudinally and cross-sectionally.
Employing Bayesian
methods of estimation, the program is able to fit the structural
models to incomplete longitudinal data. This facility makes
it possible to estimate a structural average curve for the
full growth cycle from mixed longitudinal data consisting
of a sample of short studies beginning at random ages. It
also makes possible the prediction of height at maturity,
or any other age, from one or more measures of height prior
to maturity.
