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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Screening for childhood obesity: international vs population-specific definitions. Which is more appropriate?

W P C Fu1, H C Lee, C J Ng

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. crosanz@singnet.com.sg

International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|August 15, 2003
PubMed

Insights

International obesity guidelines may underestimate childhood obesity in Singaporean Chinese children. Population-specific measures using percentage-weight-for-height (PWH) are recommended for accurate screening over body mass index (BMI) cutoffs.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Public health
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
  • Accurate screening tools are crucial for early detection and intervention.
  • Existing international definitions may not accurately reflect local population characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI), percentage-weight-for-height (PWH), and percentage body fat (PBF) in Singaporean Chinese children.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) BMI criteria versus a Singapore population-specific PWH definition for identifying childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 623 Singaporean Chinese children aged 6-11 years.
  • Measurements included height, weight, and leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis for PBF.
  • Spearman's correlation assessed associations between BMI, PWH, and PBF; sensitivity and specificity of IOTF-BMI and PWH cutoffs were compared against PBF-defined obesity.

Main Results:

  • Strong correlations were observed between BMI, PWH, and PBF (r=0.76–0.87).
  • The IOTF-BMI criteria identified a lower obesity prevalence (6.9%) compared to PWH (16.4%).
  • IOTF-BMI showed lower sensitivity (75.0%) but higher specificity (96.0%) than PWH (91.6% sensitivity, 86.6% specificity).

Conclusions:

  • International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) BMI cutoffs exhibit low sensitivity in Singaporean Chinese children, potentially underestimating local obesity prevalence.
  • Population-specific measures, such as PWH, are recommended for more accurate childhood obesity screening in this demographic.
  • Tailoring screening tools to local population data is essential for effective public health strategies.
Abstract

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