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Relationship between BMI and adiposity among different ethnic groups in 2-year-old New Zealand children

Mariam J Buksh1,2, Joanne E Hegarty1,2, Rebecca Griffith3

  • 1Newborn Service, Starship Child Health, Auckland City Hospital, Private Bag 92024, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.

The British Journal of Nutrition
|March 27, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Body Mass Index (BMI) may not accurately reflect body fat in diverse 2-year-olds. This study found similar fat and lean mass across ethnicities, despite differing BMI scores, highlighting BMI

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Standard Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-offs for overweight and obesity lack robust validation across diverse pediatric populations.
  • The interplay between ethnicity, birth size, and body composition in early childhood remains under-researched.
  • Understanding these relationships is crucial for accurate growth monitoring and health assessments in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare body size and composition at 2 years corrected age among children of diverse ethnicities and varying birth sizes.
  • To investigate the utility of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of adiposity in a multi-ethnic cohort of young children.
  • To examine ethnic variations in body composition, specifically fat mass and fat-free mass, in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up of a multi-ethnic cohort of 300 children with neonatal risk factors to 2 years corrected age.
  • Collection of anthropometric data (weight, height, head circumference) and body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis at 24±1 months corrected age.
  • Statistical comparison of body size and composition metrics across different ethnic groups, controlling for birth size and other relevant factors.

Main Results:

  • At birth, ethnic variations were observed in weight and head circumference, but not length.
  • At 2 years, Pacific children exhibited higher BMI z-scores, while Indian children had smaller head circumferences and lower BMI z-scores compared to other groups.
  • Despite ethnic differences in BMI z-scores, indices of fat mass and fat-free mass were comparable across all groups, suggesting BMI is a poor indicator of adiposity in this cohort.
  • The fat mass to fat-free mass ratio differed significantly between Pacific and Indian children at median BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Body Mass Index (BMI) is an unreliable indicator of adiposity in a multi-ethnic cohort of 2-year-old New Zealand children.
  • Ethnic and birth size variations influence early childhood growth trajectories but may not directly correlate with body composition.
  • Further research is needed to establish accurate and culturally sensitive methods for assessing body composition and adiposity in diverse pediatric populations.

Keywords:
BIA bioelectrical impedance analysisFFM fat-free massFFMI fat-free mass indexFM fat massFMI fat mass indexhPOD hypoglycaemia Prevention with Oral DextroseAnthropometryBody compositionBody weightObesity diagnosisPhysiology

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