| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Original Research Communications |
1 From the Departments of Human Nutrition, Medicine, and Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Background: A central fat pattern has adverse health implications in both children and adults. Because adiposity tracks from childhood into adulthood, the ability of simple anthropometric techniques to correctly measure truncal adiposity in childhood needs to be assessed.
Objectives: We sought to assess the validity of waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and the conicity index as indicators of trunk fat mass in children and adolescents.
Design: Trunk fat mass (kg) was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 278 girls and 302 boys aged 3–19 y. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curves (AUCs) for the ROCs were calculated to compare the relative abilities of the anthropometric measures to correctly identify children with high trunk fat mass (z score for our study population of 
1).
Results: The 80th percentile for waist circumference correctly identified 89% of girls and 87% of boys with high trunk fat mass (sensitivity) and 94% of girls and 92% of boys with low trunk fat mass (specificity). Waist circumference performed significantly better as an index of trunk fat mass than did WHR or the conicity index, as shown by the AUCs in girls and boys, respectively: waist circumference AUCs = 0.97 and 0.97, conicity index AUCs = 0.80 and 0.81, and WHR AUCs = 0.73 and 0.71. Our cutoffs for high trunk fat mass and high waist circumference are provided for both sexes for each year of age.
Conclusion: Waist circumference provides a simple yet effective measure of truncal adiposity in children and adolescents.
Key Words: Waist-to-hip ratio • conicity index • trunk fat • dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry • receiver operating characteristic curve • children • adolescents • body fat • anthropometry
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H Wang, J Necheles, M Carnethon, B Wang, Z Li, L Wang, X Liu, J Yang, G Tang, H Xing, et al. Adiposity measures and blood pressure in Chinese children and adolescents Arch. Dis. Child., September 1, 2008; 93(9): 738 - 744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. E. O'Neil and T. A. Nicklas A Review of the Relationship Between 100% Fruit Juice Consumption and Weight in Children and Adolescents American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, July 1, 2008; 2(4): 315 - 354. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. C. Nooyens, L. L. Koppes, T. L. Visscher, J. W. Twisk, H. C. Kemper, A J. Schuit, W. van Mechelen, and J. C Seidell Adolescent skinfold thickness is a better predictor of high body fatness in adults than is body mass index: the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2007; 85(6): 1533 - 1539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. S. Singh, M. J. M. C. A Paw, J. Brug, and W. van Mechelen Short-term Effects of School-Based Weight Gain Prevention Among Adolescents Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, June 1, 2007; 161(6): 565 - 571. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Schrager, E. J. Metter, E. Simonsick, A. Ble, S. Bandinelli, F. Lauretani, and L. Ferrucci Sarcopenic obesity and inflammation in the InCHIANTI study J Appl Physiol, March 1, 2007; 102(3): 919 - 925. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Li, E. S. Ford, A. H. Mokdad, and S. Cook Recent Trends in Waist Circumference and Waist-Height Ratio Among US Children and Adolescents Pediatrics, November 1, 2006; 118(5): e1390 - e1398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Esmaillzadeh, P. Mirmiran, and F. Azizi Clustering of metabolic abnormalities in adolescents with the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2006; 83(1): 36 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. S. Park, J. H. Han, K. M. Choi, and S. M. Kim Relation between elevated serum alanine aminotransferase and metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2005; 82(5): 1046 - 1051. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Cisneros-Tapia, F. A. Navarrete, A. C. Gallegos, A. E. Robles-Sardin, R. O. Mendez, and M. E. Valencia Insulin Sensitivity and Associated Risk Factors in Mexican Children and Adolescents Diabetes Care, October 1, 2005; 28(10): 2546 - 2547. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. K. Gordon, E. L. Ferguson, V. Toafa, T.-E. Henry, A. Goulding, A. M. Grant, and B. E. Guthrie High Levels of Childhood Obesity Observed among 3- to 7-Year-Old New Zealand Pacific Children Is a Public Health Concern J. Nutr., November 1, 2003; 133(11): 3456 - 3460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. K. Davison, E. J. Susman, and L. L. Birch Percent Body Fat at Age 5 Predicts Earlier Pubertal Development Among Girls at Age 9 Pediatrics, April 1, 2003; 111(4): 815 - 821. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H D. McCarthy, S. M Ellis, and T. J Cole Central overweight and obesity in British youth aged 11-16 years: cross sectional surveys of waist circumference BMJ, March 22, 2003; 326(7390): 624 - 624. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. W Taylor, I. E Jones, S. M Williams, and A. Goulding Body fat percentages measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry corresponding to recently recommended body mass index cutoffs for overweight and obesity in children and adolescents aged 3-18 y Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2002; 76(6): 1416 - 1421. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
