Anthropometric measures associated with fat mass estimation in children and adolescents with HIV

To verify the association between anthropometric indicators and body fat percentage estimated by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) in children and adolescents diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This cross-sectional study was carried out with 62 children and adolescents with HIV (aged 8 to 15 years). Body fat percentage was estimated by DXA and ADP. Anthropometric indicators were skinfolds (abdominal, triceps, subscapular, calf), perimeter relaxed arm (PRA), waist circumference (WC), perimeter neck, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, conicity index, and body adiposity index. Linear regressions were performed with 5% significance level. In boys (adjusted R₂ (R²_adj) = 0.38 to R²_adj = 0.67) and girls (R²_adj = 0.41 to R²_adj = 0.57), all anthropometric indicators were associated with body fat percentage estimated by DXA. For boys, skinfolds were associated with body fat percentage estimated by ADP (R²_adj = 0.18 to R²_adj = 0.35). In girls, skinfolds (R²_adj = 0.27 to R²_adj = 0.44, BMI (R²_adj = 0.31), PRA (R²_adj = 0.36), and WC (R²_adj = 0.26) were associated to body fat percentage by ADP. Abdominal skinfold was the indicator that most explained the variation in body fat percentage measured by DXA and ADP in both sexes. Anthropometric indicators are strongly associated with body fat, measured by reference methods, and can assist health professionals in monitoring the health of children and adolescents with HIV.