[Skinfold thickness measurement in children. The technic and normal values]

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Anthropometry
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Accurate anthropometric measurements are crucial for assessing body composition and identifying obesity in children.
• Establishing reliable reference values for skinfold thickness is essential for clinical practice and epidemiological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference values for triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness in a large cohort of healthy children and adolescents.
• To evaluate the utility of skinfold thickness measurements as a proxy for adipose tissue mass.
• To determine the sufficiency of subscapular skinfold thickness measurement for assessing adipose tissue development in children.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 3,644 healthy controls (aged 0-19 years) and 273 obese children.
• Standardized measurement of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness.
• Statistical analysis to establish reference ranges and assess variability.

Main Results:

• Reference values for triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness were successfully established for the pediatric age range.
• Subscapular skinfold thickness demonstrated less variability compared to triceps skinfold thickness.
• Measurement of subscapular skinfold thickness alone was found to be sufficient for tracking adipose tissue development up to puberty.

Conclusions:

• The established reference values provide a valuable tool for assessing adiposity in children and adolescents.
• Subscapular skinfold thickness is a reliable and practical indicator of adipose tissue development in pediatric populations.
• These findings support the routine use of skinfold thickness measurements in clinical settings for obesity screening and monitoring.