Anthropometric indicators as predictors of total body fat and cardiometabolic risk factors in Chilean children at 4, 7 and 10 years of age

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE:To compare the association between anthropometric indicators of global and central obesity aspredictors of total body fat (TBF) and cardiometabolic risk factors in children.SUBJECTS/METHODS:A total of 1044 children were evaluated at 4 years (n= 320), 7 years (n= 1044) and 10 years (n= 483). Thefollowing anthropometric indices were determined: body mass index (BMI) for age (BAZ, WHO), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). To estimate TBF we used validated predictive equations. We measured bloodsample concentrations of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and High-densitylipoprotein (HDL), adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).RESULTS:Adiposity and cardiometabolic markers, particularly those related to glucose metabolism increased from 4 years to 10years. BAZ and WC were highly correlated to body fat at all ages (allr40.8) but at 10 years WC was more strongly correlated thanBAZ (r= 0.94 WC vsr= 0.88 BAZ,Po0.05); conversely, WHtR was significantly associated with body fat from 7 years (r= 0.85) and 10years (r= 0.88). WHR was unrelated all over the period studied at all ages. Anthropometrical adiposity indicators became associatedto cardiometabolic markers only from 7 years on with associations being slightly higher at 10 years, particularly for adiponectin andlipid markers. At all ages, BAZ, WC and WHtR performed similarly as cardiometabolic markers (Po0.05) while WHR was a slightlyweaker marker.CONCLUSIONS:Relationship between anthropometrical indicators of adiposity and cardiometabolic markers becomes strongerfrom 7 years onwards; BAZ, WC and WHtR perform similarly as markers of cardiometabolic risk at least until 10 years of age.