Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Skinfold-based-equations to assess longitudinal body composition in children from birth to age 5 years
Inge A L P van Beijsterveldt1, Demi J Dorrepaal2, Kirsten S de Fluiter3
1Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Dutch Growth Research Foundation, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Insights
New equations estimate children's fat mass using skinfold measurements. These reliable tools can be used from birth to age 5 for tracking adiposity in clinical and research settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Body composition analysis
- Childhood adiposity research
Background:
- Accurate longitudinal body composition assessment is crucial for identifying children at risk of excess adiposity.
- Current methods for measuring body composition are often costly and time-consuming, limiting their use in routine clinical practice.
- Existing anthropometry-based equations for estimating fat mass have limitations, particularly in pre-pubertal children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate reliable skinfold-based equations for estimating total fat mass (FM) longitudinally in children aged 0-5 years.
- To provide a feasible and accurate method for assessing body composition in young children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective birth cohort study involving 998 healthy term-born children from birth to 5 years.
- Longitudinal measurements of anthropometrics, including skinfolds.
- Validation of fat mass (FM) using Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) and Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) as reference methods.
- Development of prediction models using linear regression and validation through calibration plots.
Main Results:
- Three skinfold-based equations were developed for distinct age ranges: 0-6 months, 6-24 months, and 2-5 years.
- Validation demonstrated significant correlations between measured and predicted FM (R values: 0.921, 0.779, and 0.893).
- Prediction errors were small, indicating good agreement between measured and predicted FM.
Conclusions:
- Reliable skinfold-based equations for estimating total fat mass have been developed and validated for children from birth to 5 years.
- These equations offer a practical tool for longitudinal body composition assessment in general clinical practice and large epidemiological studies.
- The developed equations can aid in the early identification of children at risk for excess adiposity.
Background & Aims:
In order to identify children at risk for excess adiposity, it is important to determine body composition longitudinally throughout childhood. However, most frequently used techniques in research are expensive and time-consuming and, therefore, not feasible for use in general clinical practice. Skinfold measurements can be used as proxy for adiposity, but current anthropometry-based-equations have random and systematic errors, especially when used longitudinally in pre-pubertal children. We developed and validated skinfold-based-equations to estimate total fat mass (FM) longitudinally in children aged 0-5 years.
Methods:
This study was embedded in the Sophia Pluto study, a prospective birth cohort. In 998 healthy term-born children, we longitudinally measured anthropometrics, including skinfolds and determined FM using Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) by PEA POD and Dual energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) from birth to age 5 years. Of each child one random measurement was used in the determination cohort, others for validation. Linear regression was used to determine the best fitting FM-prediction model based on anthropometric measurements using ADP and DXA as reference methods. For validation, we used calibration plots to determine predictive value and agreement between measured and predicted FM.
Results:
Three skinfold-based-equations were developed for adjoined age ranges (0-6 months, 6-24 months and 2-5 years), based on FM-trajectories. Validation of these prediction equations showed significant correlations between measured and predicted FM (R: 0.921, 0.779 and 0.893, respectively) and good agreement with small mean prediction errors of 1, 24 and -96 g, respectively.
Conclusions:
We developed and validated reliable skinfold-based-equations which may be used longitudinally from birth to age 5 years in general practice and large epidemiological studies.
