Subcutaneous adipose tissue topography (SAT-Top) development in children and young adults

The importance of body composition measurements to elucidate the dynamics of related diseases in pediatrics is gaining recognition. The methods used should not expose subjects to high doses of radiation and require substantial cooperation. The Lipometer is a new optical device that enables the non-invasive, quick and safe determination of the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) layers (in mm) at any site of the human body. The topographic specification of 15 evenly distributed body sites, which makes it possible to precisely measure subcutaneous body fat distribution, is called subcutaneous adipose tissue topography (SAT-Top). SAT-Top was determined in more than 1000 children and young adults between the ages of 7 and 21. In this paper we describe the SAT-Top development of these subjects through different age groups and the differences between male and female SAT-Top development in each age group. SAT layer profiles (medians of the 15 body sites) for boys and girls in age group 1 (7-9 yrs) show a very similar pattern for both sexes, followed by slightly decreasing SAT layer thicknesses in boys and increasing values in girls in the subsequent age groups. Between age group 3 (11-13 yrs) and age group 7 (19-21 yrs) male and female SAT-Top is significantly different. The discriminating power between male and female SAT-Top was investigated by stepwise discriminant analysis, which provided no significant results for age group 1 (7-9 yrs), about 73% correct classification for age group 2 (9-11 yrs) and 3 (11-13 yrs), 83% for age group 4 (13-15 yrs), and about 91-93% for the following age groups (15-21 yrs). It is known that SAT development is the same in both sexes until puberty, when girls gain relatively more fat mass than boys to reach a higher body-fat percentage as adults. This paper presents a precise description of SAT development in boys and girls from childhood to adolescence, which provides a basis for further investigations.