Triceps skinfold thickness in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Human Physiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Assessing nutritional status and body fat in adolescents is challenging due to variable pubertal growth.
• Triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) is a common anthropometric measure for estimating subcutaneous fat.
• Understanding TSF variations across age, sex, and socioeconomic status is crucial for accurate nutritional assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) as a reliable indicator of obesity in healthy adolescents aged 11-18 years.
• To examine the influence of sex and socioeconomic status on TSF measurements.
• To correlate TSF with other anthropometric indices like weight and body mass index (BMI).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1000 healthy adolescents aged 11 to 18 years.
• Standard Harpenden skinfold calipers were used for precise TSF measurements.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare TSF between sexes, socioeconomic groups, and correlate it with weight and BMI (wt/ht²).

Main Results:

• Females consistently exhibited thicker TSF than males across all age groups.
• Significant differences in TSF were observed between high and low socioeconomic groups for both sexes.
• TSF showed a steady increase in girls throughout adolescence, while boys experienced a dip followed by a slow rise, resulting in a final thickness lower than prepubertal values.
• TSF demonstrated a strong positive correlation with weight and BMI (wt/ht²), but no correlation with height.

Conclusions:

• Triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) is a dependable measure for assessing obesity in adolescents, particularly when pubertal changes complicate other nutritional assessments.
• Sex and socioeconomic status are significant factors influencing TSF in adolescents.
• The strong correlation of TSF with weight and BMI supports its utility as a practical indicator of adiposity in this age group.