Extended composite index of anthropometric failure in Argentinean preschool and school children.

OBJECTIVE: The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) can only be applied to children under 5 years of age and does not contemplate obesity. The aim of this study was to propose an Extended CIAF (ECIAF) that combines the characterization of malnutrition due to undernutrition and excess weight, and apply it in six Argentine provinces. DESIGN: ECIAF excludes children not in anthropometric failure (group A) and was calculated from a percentage of children included in malnutrition categories B: wasting only; C: wasting and underweight; D: wasting, stunting and underweight; E: stunting and underweight; F: stunting only; Y: underweight only; G: only weight excess; and H: stunting and weight excess. SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted in Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut, Jujuy, Mendoza and Misiones (Argentina). PARTICIPANTS: 10 879 children of both sexes aged between 3 and 13·99. RESULTS: ECIAF in preschool children (3 to 4·99 years) was 15·1 %. The highest prevalence was registered in Mendoza (16·7 %) and the lowest in Misiones (12·0 %). In school children (5 to 13·99 years) ECIAF was 28·6 %. Mendoza also recorded the highest rate (30·7 %), while Catamarca and Chubut had the lowest values (27·0 %). In the whole sample, about 25 % of the malnutrition was caused by undernutrition and 75 % by excess weight. CONCLUSIONS: The ECIAF summarizes anthropometric failure by both deficiency and excess weight and it highlights that a quarter of the malnutrition in the Argentine population was caused by undernutrition, although there are differences between Provinces (P < 0·05). ECIAF estimates are higher than those of CIAF or under-nutrition.

Development of subcutaneous fat in Spanish and Latin American children and adolescents: Reference values for biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds.

Subcutaneous fat skinfolds represent a reliable assessment instrument of adiposity status. This study provides current percentile references for four subcutaneous skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) applicable to children and adolescents in Spain and in Latin American countries where data are scarce. The design consisted of a cross-sectional multicenter study performed with identical methods in 5 countries (Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela). Total sample comprised 9163 children and youths (boys 4615 - girls 4548) aged 6-18 years, healthy and without apparent pathologies. Percentiles 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, 95 and 97 were calculated by the LMS method. Sexual dimorphism was assessed using the t-test and age differences with ANOVA. Normalized growth percentile references were obtained according to sex and age for each skinfold. The mean values of four skinfolds were significantly greater in girls than boys (p<0.001) and, in both sexes, all skinfolds show statistical differences through age (p<0.001) with different magnitudes. Except triceps in girls, peaks between 11 and 12 years of age are more noticeable in boys than in girls. Although the general model of growth is known, the skinfold measurements show variability among populations and differences of magnitude are presented according to the analyzed population. Therefore, these age and sex-specific reference percentile values for biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds, derived from a large sample of Spanish and Latin American children and adolescents, are a useful tool for adiposity diagnosis in this population for which no reference values were available.

Growth assessment in school-children of Villa Cubas, Catamarca Argentine.

An anthropometric study of the growth in schoolchildren aged 5 to 14 years, belonging to the Villa Cubas district of the capital of the province of Catamarca, has been carried out. Villa Cubas presents average/low socioeconomic characteristics and is situated in a peripheral sector to the Center of the Capital. Male and female students have been evaluated. The measurements were turned to "Z" scores. The aims of this work were: 1) To determinate the state of growth in comparison with the national reference standards and 2) To analyze the competence of the use of such standards in the clinical and nutrition assessment in the province of Catamarca. The results showed that the body weight and height had no difference with the standards, while the sitting presented higher values than the standards. The results are interpreted as a consequence of the food deficit that affected the height and the inferior height part. The standards of reference are considered to be out-of-date and inappropriate for the clinic assessment in the province of Catamarca, inasmuch as they do not show the changes that have taken place in the population in the last 20 years.

[Anthropometric study of students of Palo Blanco, Department of Tinogasta, Province of Catamarca, Argentina]. / Estudio antropometrico de escolares de Palo Blanco, Departamento Tinogasta, Provincia de Catamarca, Argentina.

An anthropometric cross-sectional research was carried out in 211 students from Palo Blanco, in Tinogasta, Catamarca province. They were 110 boys and 101 girls aged 6-12 years, and they attended classes at the local school. Palo Blanco is a rural place, in a "very unfavorable" area, located on the west of Catamarca province, at 1.700 meters above sea level. Its climate is continental and half-deserted with a large diurnal thermometrical range. Measurements of body weight and standing height were obtained; then their averages and percentiles were compared with measurements of two samples obtained from urban areas. One of them was taken from students attending classes in Tinogasta (a city that belongs to the district having the sa-name), and the other from Catamarca city (the Capital of the province). Its aim was to determine the existence of some differences in the variables that were investigated, and that could de due to the rural situation of Palo Blanco's students. The anthropometrical variables in Palo Blanco's students resulted in values similar to those obtained in Tinogasta city, while both of them showed a significant difference, not only in body weight but also in standing height, in comparison to the students from the head city of Catamarca, especially in males. It may be concluded that conditions that differ from those derived of the rural situation, have incidence upon the behavior of these anthropometrical variables.

Estudio antropometrico de escolares de Palo Blanco, Departamento Tinogasta, Provincia de Catamarca, Argentina. / [Anthropometric study of students of Palo Blanco, Department of Tinogasta, Province of Catamarca, Argentina]

An anthropometric cross-sectional research was carried out in 211 students from Palo Blanco, in Tinogasta, Catamarca province. They were 110 boys and 101 girls aged 6-12 years, and they attended classes at the local school. Palo Blanco is a rural place, in a [quot ]very unfavorable[quot ] area, located on the west of Catamarca province, at 1.700 meters above sea level. Its climate is continental and half-deserted with a large diurnal thermometrical range. Measurements of body weight and standing height were obtained; then their averages and percentiles were compared with measurements of two samples obtained from urban areas. One of them was taken from students attending classes in Tinogasta (a city that belongs to the district having the sa-name), and the other from Catamarca city (the Capital of the province). Its aim was to determine the existence of some differences in the variables that were investigated, and that could de due to the rural situation of Palo Blancos students. The anthropometrical variables in Palo Blancos students resulted in values similar to those obtained in Tinogasta city, while both of them showed a significant difference, not only in body weight but also in standing height, in comparison to the students from the head city of Catamarca, especially in males. It may be concluded that conditions that differ from those derived of the rural situation, have incidence upon the behavior of these anthropometrical variables.

Estudio antropometrico de escolares de Palo Blanco, Departamento Tinogasta, Provincia de Catamarca, Argentina. / [Anthropometric study of students of Palo Blanco, Department of Tinogasta, Province of Catamarca, Argentina]

An anthropometric cross-sectional research was carried out in 211 students from Palo Blanco, in Tinogasta, Catamarca province. They were 110 boys and 101 girls aged 6-12 years, and they attended classes at the local school. Palo Blanco is a rural place, in a [quot ]very unfavorable[quot ] area, located on the west of Catamarca province, at 1.700 meters above sea level. Its climate is continental and half-deserted with a large diurnal thermometrical range. Measurements of body weight and standing height were obtained; then their averages and percentiles were compared with measurements of two samples obtained from urban areas. One of them was taken from students attending classes in Tinogasta (a city that belongs to the district having the sa-name), and the other from Catamarca city (the Capital of the province). Its aim was to determine the existence of some differences in the variables that were investigated, and that could de due to the rural situation of Palo Blancos students. The anthropometrical variables in Palo Blancos students resulted in values similar to those obtained in Tinogasta city, while both of them showed a significant difference, not only in body weight but also in standing height, in comparison to the students from the head city of Catamarca, especially in males. It may be concluded that conditions that differ from those derived of the rural situation, have incidence upon the behavior of these anthropometrical variables.