Waist circumference percentiles for Hispanic-American children and comparison with other international references.

INTRODUCTION: Waist circumference (WC) constitutes an indirect measurement of central obesity in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To provide percentiles of WC for Hispanic-American children and adolescents, and compare them with other international references. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample comprised 13 289 healthy children between 6 and 18 years coming from public schools of middle and low socioeconomic levels in different parts of Argentina, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela. The LMS method to calculate WC percentiles was applied. Sex and age differences were assessed using Student's t test and ANOVA (SPSS v.21.0). Comparisons were established with references from the United States, Colombia, India, China, Australia, Kuwait, Germany, Tunisia, Greece, and Portugal. RESULTS: WC increases with age in both sexes. Boys show higher WC in P3, P50, and P97. Comparison of 50th and 90th percentiles among populations from diverse sociocultural and geographical contexts shows high variability, not all justified by the measurement method. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Specific WC percentiles for sex and age, and P90 cut-off points are provided; these values are potentially useful to assess central obesity in Hispanic-American adolescent children.

SUBSCAPULAR AND TRICEPS SKINFOLDS REFERENCE VALUES OF HISPANIC AMERICAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COMPARISON WITH THE REFERENCE OF CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC).

INTRODUCTION: the assessment of the skinfold thickness is an objective measure of adiposity. Therefore, it is a useful tool for nutritional diagnosis and prevention of metabolic risk associated with excess fat in chilhood and adolescence. OBJECTIVE: to provide percentiles of subscapular and triceps skinfolds for Hispanic American schoolchildren and compare them with those published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from United States, that it have been commonly used as a reference in most of these countries. METHODS: subscapular and triceps skinfolds were measured in 9.973 schoolchildren 4-19 aged from Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico with Holtain caliper with 0.2 mm accuracy. Percentiles were obtained with the LMS statistical method and were presented in tables divided in stages of 6 months and in curves graphics. The difference between Hispanic American and CDC mean values were provided for P3, P50 and P97 in mm and also were graphically represented. RESULTS: skinfolds measurements obviously increased with age in both sexes but, in boys, this increase is much more marked in highest percentiles between 8 and 13 years; this maximum is reached earlier than what occurs in CDC reference. In both sexes, all percentiles analized in Hispanic American schoolchildren were higher than the CDC reference except P97 up to 10 or 13 years that was notably smaller. CONCLUSIONS: the skinfolds percentiles of Hispanic American children and adolescents differ from CDC that are usually used as reference. The values of subscapular and triceps skinfolds provided in this study, could be applied to populations of a similar ethnic background, especially in comparative studies of body composition.

Introducción: la evaluacion del grosor de los pliegues subcutáneos es una medida objetiva de la adiposidad. Es por tanto una herramienta útil para el diagnóstico nutricional y la prevención del riesgo metabólico asociado al exceso de grasa en la infancia y adolescencia. Objetivo: proporcionar valores percentilares de los pliegues adiposos subcutáneos subescapular y tricipital para escolares hispanoamericanos y compararlos con los valores publicados por los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) de los Estados Unidos, que comunmente se emplean como referencia en estos países. Métodos: se midió el pliegue subescapular y tricipital en 9.973 escolares entre 4 y 19 años procedentes de España, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela y México con un calibre Holtain de 0,2 mm de precisión. Los percentiles fueron calculados mediante el método estadístico LMS y presentados en tablas divididas en intervalos de seis meses y en gráficos de curvas. La diferencia entre los valores medios hispanoamericanos y los valores del CDC se muestran para el P3, P50 y P97 en mm, y también gráficamente. Resultados: las medidas de los pliegues subcutáneos se incrementan obviamente con la edad pero, en niños, este incremento es mucho más marcado en los percentiles superiores entre los 8 y 13 años; este máximo es alcanzado antes que en la referencia del CDC. En ambos sexos, todos los percentiles analizados fueron superiores en los escolares hispanoamericanos, exceptuando el P97 por encima de los 10 o 13 años, donde resultó notablemente inferior. Conclusiones: los percentiles de pliegues adiposos de los niños y adolescentes hispanoamericanos difieren de la referencia del CDC. Los valores del pliegie subescapular y tricipital proporcionados en este estudio podrían ser aplicados en poblaciones de similar origen étnico, especialmente en estudios comparativos de la composición corporal.

Comportamiento alimentario y obesidad infantil en Sonora, México / Comportamento alimentário e obesidade infantil em Sonora, México / Food behavior and infantile obesity in Sonora, Mexico

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo identificar los factores sociales asociados con la obesidad y conlos comportamientos alimentarios de riesgo en un grupo de niños y niñas de 7 a 12 años de edad, en Hermosillo,Sonora, México. Los resultados muestran que el 40% de la población estudiada presentó sobrepeso y obesidad;el 39 % tuvo predisposición a prácticas alimentarias de riesgo y el 30% ya presentaba dichos rasgos. Se encontróque el miedo a la obesidad y la obsesión por la delgadez, la ansiedad por los alimentos consumidos, las prácticasalimentarias restrictivas, así como la presión social sobre la imagen corporal, fueron los principales factoresasociados con los comportamientos alimentarios de riesgo en la niñez.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar os fatores sociais associados com a obesidade e com oscomportamentos alimentares de risco num grupo de meninos e meninas de 7 a 12 anos de edade, em Hermosillo,Sonora, México. Os resultados mostram que o 40% da população estudiada apresentou sobrepeso e obesidade; o39% teve predisposição às práticas alimentares de risco e o 30% já apresentava estas características. Se achou queo medo à obesidade e a obsessão com a magreza, a ansiedade pelos alimentos consumidos, as práticas alimentaresrestritivas, assim como a pressão social sobre a imagem corporal, foram os principais fatores associados com oscomportamentos alimentares de risco na infância.

The aim of this paper is to identify some of the social factors associated with the occurrence ofobesity and food behavior disorders in children of both sexes from the ages of 7-12 years in the city of Hermosillo,Sonora, Mexico. Results showed that 40% of the target population is overweight or obese. On the other hand, 39% of the children show a tendency to behave in a risky way towards food, while 30% is already at risk.We found that the main factors related to behavioral food risk among children are: fear to become obese andobsession for slimness, anxiety due to food consumption, calorie restrictive eating as well as the social pressureover the ideal body image.