Abstract Background: The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) is a valuable, simple, and reproducible measurement in respiratory assessment, particularly for diagnosing and monitoring asthma. Establishing region-specific PEFR reference values is critical, as factors such as age, nutrition, and lifestyle may influence PEFR. This study aimed to determine normative PEFR values by age and geography and to assess their correlation with age and anthropometric parameters in the healthy children in Surat, India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 540 school-going children aged 7–14 years at a randomly selected school in Surat, India. PEFR values were obtained using a mini Wright peak flow meter. Age, gender, and anthropometric data, including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and chest circumference, were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 23, to evaluate correlations between PEFR and the various anthropometric parameters. Results: PEFR values showed significant positive correlations with height ( r = 0.790, P < 0.001), age ( r = 0.738, P < 0.001), weight ( r = 0.693, P < 0.001), chest circumference at full inspiration ( r = 0.598, P < 0.001), and BMI ( r = 0.340, P < 0.001). Boys consistently displayed higher PEFR values than girls across various parameters. PEFR values increased progressively with age, height, weight, BMI, and chest circumference. Compared with studies from other parts of India and Western countries, PEFR values varied regionally, underscoring the need for local reference values. Conclusion: Height was identified as the strongest predictor of PEFR in this study, followed by age and weight. The findings suggest that PEFR values are strongly correlated with anthropometric parameters. PEFR values are also influenced by regional factors, which necessitate region-specific reference standards. This study provides a baseline PEFR standard for children in Surat; however, further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to confirm these findings in broader populations.
Bhadran et al. (Thu,) studied this question.