Analysis of Health Records of Pediatric Short Stature in Kazakhstan Using Data from Unified National Electronic Health System 2014-2021

Abstract

Background: Short stature remains one of the most common clinical findings in pediatric practice that reflects various systemic conditions, however regional epidemiological studies are limited. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study evaluates pediatric patients diagnosed with short stature. From a large-scale electronic health system, 4215 records were extracted, containing demographic data on age at diagnosis, sex, residency, and ethnicity. The following comorbidities were selected: thyroid disorders, anemia, and celiac disease. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, the association between baseline demographics and anemia and thyroid disorders was assessed. The total number of records used for regression analysis was 3554 because of 661 participants missing residential status. Due to the low number of Celiac disease cases, only the prevalence was reported. Results: Among the short-stature cohort participants, the prevalence of thyroid disorders was 9.2%, while anemia was found in 4.3%. Male sex was associated with higher odds of anemia (OR = 1.51, 95 % CI 1.08–2.12, p = 0.016) and lower odds of thyroid disorder (OR = 0.59, 95 % CI 0.47–0.74, p < 0.001). No significant association was found for residency and age of diagnosis with either of the comorbidities. (pseudo‑R² ≈ 0.01). Conclusions: Thyroid disease was found to be the most common comorbidity in the study cohort. Differences in risk profiles related to sex serve as additional guidance for improving diagnostic tools and management of short stature.