Central adiposity in Brazilian schoolchildren aged 7–10 years

Abstract

Waist circumference (WC) is a measure of central adiposity related to elevated risk factor levels in children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to describe WC percentiles in 7-to 10-year-old Brazilian children and to compare frequencies of obesity and overweight as defined by BMI and frequencies of excess and at risk of abdominal adiposity as defined by WC to the corresponding age and sex data from British references. A representative sample of 2919 schoolchildren of the city of Florianopolis (southern Brazil) was examined. Smoothed WC percentiles were derived using the least mean square method. Frequencies of overweight and obesity and of excess and at risk of abdominal adiposity were assessed using the 91st and 98th centiles of the British references as cut-off points. WC increased with age in both boys and girls, with higher values for boys at every age and percentile level. Nutritional status categories of children assessed by the 91st and 98th British BMI and WC centiles showed moderate agreement (weighted k ¼ 0·58). Overweight was more frequent in Brazilian than British children: 15·1 % of girls and 20·1 % of boys were above the 91st percentile of the 1990 BMI for age British references. About one-quarter (22·0 % of girls and 26·9 % of boys) exceeded the 91st percentile of WC British references. The present data could be used to compare WC in children in other populations and may serve as a baseline for future studies of temporal trends in WC in Brazil.Central adiposity: Waist circumference percentiles: Childhood: Obesity prevalence: Brazil Recent studies have shown that waist circumference (WC) increased much faster than BMI in children and adolescents over the past 10 -20 years (McCarthy et al. 2003(McCarthy et al. , 2005Moreno et al. 2005).While the BMI is generally accepted and used to classify children as overweight or obese in population studies, it is recognised that the BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat masses and gives no indication about body adiposity distribution (Reilly et al. 2000). The BMI therefore seems a poor proxy for central adiposity. The WC is a highly sensitive and specific measure of trunk adiposity (Taylor et al. 2000) and a strong predictor of visceral adiposity in the paediatric population (Brambilla et al. 2006;Lee et al. 2006). Further, WC is related to metabolic complications of obesity, including poor lipid profile, increased blood pressure and insulin resistance in children and adolescents (Freedman et al. 1999;Savva et al. 2000;Maffeis et al. 2001;Moreno et al. 2002).It has therefore been recommended that WC should be used to identify young individuals at risk of morbidity associated with central body adiposity and could be adopted as an alternative or additional measurement to BMI (McCarthy et al. 2003). However, there are no commonly accepted WC cut-offs for classifying children with high central adiposity.The prevalence of overweight based on BMI has tripled in Brazilian children and adolescents over the past two decades (Wang et al. 2002); ho...

Prevalence and factors associated with central obesity in schoolchildren in Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…A prevalência de obesidade central foi de 4,9% (IC95%=4,3;5,5), sendo mais elevada nos meninos (5,9%;IC95%=4,9;6,8)…”

“…In Maceió (AL) a study that used the same classification used herein found a central obesity prevalence of 9.3% in schoolchildren aged 7 to 17 years, but the study used a smaller cut-off point 30 . Higher prevalences were found in Florianópolis (SC) (10.4% in girls and 13.1% in boys) in children aged 7 to 10 years by a study that used British references for the classification 9 . The different prevalences are explained by the distinct age groups, methods, and cut-off points used for diagnosing central obesity.…”

“…In Itajaí (SC), Ferrazzi et al 8 assessed 602 schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years and found a prevalence of central obesity of 11.3%. In Florianópolis (SC), a study with schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years found prevalences of 10.4% and 13.1% in girls and boys, Revista de Nutrição http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1415-52732015000100004 respectively 9 . The different cut-off points and classifications used for diagnosing central obesity in children explain the discrepant prevalences.…”

Association Between the Number of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Each Risk Factor Level in Elementary School Children

“…A significantly higher waist circumference level in boys and significantly higher fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels in girls indicated that abdominal obesity in males and insulin resistance in females were prevalent in children who were at elementary school level, which has also been shown in other studies. [15][16][17][18] The approach used in the present study had limitations. The present study included a larger percentage of boys than girls.…”

Percentis para o perímetro de cintura de adolescentes do município do Rio de Janeiro

“…O perímetro de cintura aumentado durante a adolescência tem sido associado ao aumento do risco para DCV na vida adulta 12,13 . Percentis e/ou curvas de referência para o PC foram estimados para adolescentes em diversos países [11][12][13][14] , entre eles o Brasil 15 . Entretanto, os métodos de mensuração do PC 16 e de estimação dos percentis não foram iguais em todos os estudos, o que dificulta a definição de um ponto de corte universal de PC para predição de risco em saúde para adolescentes.…”