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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Nutritional state of Polish prepubertal children assessed by population-specific and international standards

P Matusik1, E Malecka-Tendera, K Klimek

  • 1Department of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Faculty of Pharmacy, Silesian University School of Medicine, Katowice, Poland. endocrin@wp.pl

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|April 13, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Nutritional status in Polish children varies significantly based on the reference used. Population-specific standards are crucial for clinical practice, even with international guidelines like IOTF.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Childhood obesity and underweight are significant global health concerns.
  • Accurate nutritional status assessment in children requires appropriate reference standards.
  • International comparisons of childhood overweight and underweight can be influenced by the chosen BMI criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and underweight (thinness) in Polish 7-9-year-old children.
  • To compare these prevalence rates using population-specific Polish references versus international (French, US, IOTF) references.
  • To determine the impact of different Body Mass Index (BMI) definitions on nutritional status classification in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • A representative sample of 2916 Polish children aged 7-9 years had their height and weight measured to calculate BMI.
  • Nutritional status was assessed using multiple definitions: Polish national references, French references, US references, and International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) references.
  • Prevalence rates for overweight (including obesity) and underweight (thinness) were calculated and compared across the different reference standards.

Main Results:

  • Overweight (including obesity) prevalence varied from 12.1% (Polish) to 20.7% (US).
  • Obesity rates ranged from 3.5% (Polish) to 9.4% (US).
  • Underweight (thinness) prevalence was 6.9% (Polish), 2.6% (French), and 4.2% (US). A trend of decreasing overweight and increasing underweight with age was observed.

Conclusions:

  • Significant differences exist in the calculated rates of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Polish children when using various reference standards.
  • While the IOTF reference is valuable for international studies, population-specific standards are essential for accurate clinical practice.
  • The choice of BMI reference significantly impacts the perceived nutritional status of children, highlighting the need for context-specific guidelines.
Abstract

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