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Body composition of preschool children and relation to birth weight

Thais Costa Machado1, Viviane G Nascimento2, Janaína P C da Silva1

  • 1Department of Maternal and child Health, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
|June 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Lower birth weight (BW) in preschool children with excess weight is linked to reduced arm muscle area (AMA), irrespective of arm fat area (AFA). This finding highlights the importance of monitoring body composition in early childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Excess weight in preschool children is a growing public health concern.
  • Understanding factors influencing body composition in early childhood is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between birth weight (BW) and body composition in preschool children with excess weight.
  • To explore the relationship between BW, arm muscle area (AMA), and arm fat area (AFA) in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A probabilistic sample of 479 preschool children from 17 daycare centers was analyzed.
  • Risk of overweight and excess weight were identified using Z-score of Body Mass Index (zBMI).
  • Arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA) were calculated from anthropometric measurements.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of overweight risk was 22.9% and excess weight was 9.3%.
  • A positive correlation was found between BW and adjusted arm muscle area (AMAa) in children with excess weight (rp= 0.42; p= 0.0047).
  • No significant correlation was observed between BW and AFA.

Conclusions:

  • Lower birth weight is associated with reduced arm muscle area in preschool children with excess weight.
  • This association persists regardless of the arm fat area.
  • Early identification of children with altered body composition related to birth weight is important.
Abstract

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