At one year old, a child's height of 26 inches is at the 50th percentile. Which statement is true about this data?

The statement that heights of children age one were less than 26 inches in 50% of the population is accurate because being at the 50th percentile indicates that half of the children in the reference population (children of the same age) have a height less than 26 inches. Percentiles are a way of ranking data, and the 50th percentile specifically represents the median value, which divides the population into two equal halves. Therefore, 50% of one-year-old children are shorter than the median height of 26 inches.

The other options do not accurately reflect the interpretation of percentiles or make incorrect assumptions about the growth trajectory of children. The percentile ranking does not predict future heights or provide percentages that misrepresent the data distribution.