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Body fat distribution reference standards in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA Study
L A Moreno1, M I Mesana, M González-Gross
1EU Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. lmoreno@unizar.es
International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|July 4, 2007
Summary
This study establishes body fat distribution reference standards for adolescents, identifying regional adiposity patterns. These findings aid in defining central obesity criteria for youth globally.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Human growth and development
- Public health
Background:
- Adolescent obesity is a growing concern with significant health implications.
- Understanding body fat distribution is crucial for identifying health risks beyond overall adiposity.
- Existing reference standards for body fat patterning in adolescents are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish age- and sex-specific reference standards for body fat patterning in Spanish adolescents.
- To identify adolescents with predominant abdominal or truncal body fat distribution.
- To provide data for the development of international central obesity criteria for adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 2160 Spanish adolescents (13-18 years).
- Collection of anthropometric measurements including skinfolds and circumferences.
- Calculation of body fat distribution indices such as subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio and trunk-to-total skinfolds percent (TTS%).
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences observed in most body fat distribution indices, with males generally showing higher truncal fat.
- Age significantly affected body fat distribution indices in males, and some indices in females.
- Smoothed percentile values for various fat patterning indices were established for both sexes.
Conclusions:
- The established reference data for waist circumference and fat patterning indices are valuable for identifying adolescents at risk.
- These data can contribute to the development of international criteria for central obesity in adolescents.
- The percentile values allow for the estimation of regional adiposity in adolescent populations.
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