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BMI z-score is the optimal measure of annual adiposity change in elementary school children

Mikako Inokuchi1, Nobutake Matsuo, John I Takayama

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Annals of Human Biology
|October 22, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score is the best way to measure annual changes in body fat for Japanese elementary school children. This finding helps track childhood obesity trends more accurately.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Growth Monitoring
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Short-term adiposity change in young children is best measured by Body Mass Index (BMI) or BMI% adjusted for age.
  • The optimal method for assessing annual adiposity changes in older children remains undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the optimal measure for annual adiposity change in Japanese children aged 6-12 years.
  • To inform accurate growth monitoring and obesity assessment in school-aged populations.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study of 669 Japanese children (ages 6-12) in Tokyo.
  • Annual measurements of height and weight were used to calculate BMI, BMI% adjusted for age, BMI z-score, and BMI centile.
  • Variability in adiposity was assessed using standard deviations (SDs) and compared between overweight and non-overweight children, correlating with baseline BMI z-scores.

Main Results:

  • BMI, BMI%, and BMI centile standard deviations differed significantly between overweight and non-overweight children.
  • BMI z-score standard deviations were similar across weight groups, except in younger grades.
  • BMI, BMI%, and BMI centile SDs showed an inverse correlation with baseline BMI z-score, unlike BMI z-score SDs.

Conclusions:

  • The BMI z-score is identified as the optimal measure for assessing annual adiposity change in elementary school-aged children.
  • This finding supports the use of BMI z-scores for consistent and accurate monitoring of adiposity trends in this age group.
Abstract

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