Usefulness of a stature‐based standard of skinfold thickness, especially for short children

Abstract

Skinfold thicknessess (SFT) were measured at ulnar, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites in 730 boys and 724 girls (age 3-12 years) whose stature ranged from 100 to 150 cm and whose weight was within ±20% of the average. Means and standard deviation (SD) were calculated after logarithmic transformation of the original skinfold readings to demonstrate stature-based standards of SFT in Japanese children. The means of SFT exhibited nadirs (boys/ girls: ulnar 5.1/5.9 mm, triceps 7.9/9.5 mm, subscapular 4.9/6.1 mm, suprailiac 4.5/6.2 mm) in subjects 110-115 cm tall except for ulnar SFT in girls. SFT values increased as children increased in stature. Standard deviations of SFT at the four sites in short children (staturte < mean -1 SD) were estimated using the stature-based standard as well as an age-based standard. Susms of the SDs assessed by the age-based standard were significantly smaller than those assessed by the stature-based standard in boys (P < 0.05) and girls (P < 0.01) with short stature, suggesting that SFT in short children was falsely understimated by the age-based standard. Thus, the stature-based standard is beneficial for the assessment of SFT, especially in children whose stature is below the mean --1 SD. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Fat areas on the extremities in normal weight and overweight children and adolescents: Comparison between age-related and weight-related changes in adiposity

“…Skinfolds by a single observer in the present study had a coefficient of variation less than 10%. Skinfold measurements are also associated with larger standard deviations in adolescents than in children (Tanner and Whitehouse, 1975;Ohzeki et al, 1992Ohzeki et al, , 1995.…”

“…Skinfold thicknesses (SFT) were measured by a single observer using a Holtain caliper at the ulnar (at a point halfway be- tween the olecranon and styloidal processes of ulna), triceps (at the midpoint between the acromial and olecranon processes), thigh (at midpoints on the anterior thigh between the center of the patella and middle of the inguinal band), and calf (at the posterior calf region where the circumference was maximum) (Tanner and Whitehouse, 1975;Ohzeki et al, 1992Ohzeki et al, ,1995. Circumferences were measured with a tape measure a t the same points for the skinfold measurement.…”

Sexual dimorphism in relationship of serum leptin and relative weight for the standard in normal-weight, but not in overweight, children as well as adolescents

“…It is noteworthy that, during childhood and adolescence, body composition including adipose tissue as well as fatfree mass exhibits age-dependent changes (Tanner & Whitehouse, 1975;Gasser et al, 1994;Ohzeki et al, 1995Ohzeki et al, , 1996. Measurement of body weight can clarify, though not completely, variations in fat tissues.…”

“…In addition to obesity-or nutrition-related changes in fat cells, it is known that body composition varies in association with age and pubertal maturation of individuals (Tanner & Whitehouse, 1975;Ohzeki et al, 1995).…”