NEW REFERENCE PARAMETERS FOR BODY MASS INDEX IN CHILDREN AGED SIX TO TEN YEARS

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Accurate classification of child nutritional status is crucial for public health interventions.
• Existing Body Mass Index (BMI) references may not accurately reflect the nutritional status of specific populations.
• Brazilian children's nutritional status requires localized reference values for precise assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish new BMI reference values for children aged 6-10 years in Montes Claros, Southeast Brazil.
• To improve the accuracy of nutritional status classification in this specific pediatric population.
• To provide localized data for public health initiatives and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 3,863 children aged 6-10 years was analyzed.
• Body mass and height were measured to calculate BMI.
• The Lambda, Mu, and Sigma (LMS) method was employed to derive new BMI centile curves and cut-off points for underweight, overweight, and obesity.

Main Results:

• New BMI centile curves were generated for children aged 6-10 in Montes Claros.
• The study determined specific cut-off values: 17.5 kg/m² for underweight, 25 kg/m² for overweight, and 30 kg/m² for obesity.
• These new values differ from traditional references, impacting nutritional status classification.

Conclusions:

• Traditional BMI references may lead to misclassification of nutritional status in Brazilian children.
• The study highlights the need for location-specific BMI references to accurately assess child and adolescent nutritional status.
• Periodic updates and localized studies are recommended for effective nutritional surveillance.