Abdominal Obesity in Overweight Schoolchildren from Portoviejo (Ecuador). Conicity Index Cut-Points for Sustainable Health

José Gabriel Pilay-Chávez,Damaris Hernández-Gallardo,Daniel Linares-Girela,Marta Linares-Manrique,Ricardo Arencibia-Moreno,Johanna Sabrina Párraga-Acosta

doi:10.3390/su13105583

José Gabriel Pilay-Chávez, Damaris Hernández-Gallardo + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105583

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Abstract

(1) Background: Abdominal obesity describes the accumulation of visceral fat. Monitoring of abdominal obesity in children aids prognosis of atherogenic risk and prediction of the emergence of different comorbidities, many of which persist into and throughout adulthood. For this reason, it is of great diagnostic value to the sustainability of health in populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate abdominal obesity in overweight schoolchildren from Portoviejo (Ecuador) and propose conicity index cut-points for sustainable health. (2) Methods: The sample was formed by 356 schoolchildren whose BMI z-score deemed them to be overweight. Height, weight, waist circumference (wstC), various skinfolds, percent body fat, conicity index (CI) and overweight classification according to wstC were determined. (3) Results: The mean age was 6.83 ± 1.2 years, 17.4% were obese, 34.8% were overweight and 47.8% were at risk of being overweight according to their BMI z-score. The mean height was 1.29 ± 0.12 m, whilst the mean weight was 35.21 ± 11.57 kg. When classifying according to wstC, 37.9% were identified as obese, 28.1% had high-risk abdominal adiposity and 34% were normal. The average CI was 1.16 ± 0.06, whilst that of body fat was 19.34 ± 6.03, with 56.2% of individuals having body fat values lower than 20%. (4) Conclusions: The sample showed a high prevalence of central obesity. Significant agreement was not found between classifications of nutritional status according to BMI z-score and wstC.

Highlights

In contemporary society, hedonic desires for foodstuffs, food marketing [1] and sedentary lifestyles [2] are the main causes of excess weight, expressed as overweight and obesity.Detection and prevention at early ages are key to avoiding health sequalae in individuals, whilst the identification of physiological and behavioural causes is urged
A higher number of obese individuals were identified when using the waist circumference classification, whilst a meaningful proportion of those previously declared as overweight or at risk of being overweight according to their BMI z-score where denominated as having a normal status
The population covered by the present sample showed a high prevalence of central obesity, or risk thereof, according to waist circumference and conicity index

Summary

Introduction

Detection and prevention at early ages are key to avoiding health sequalae in individuals, whilst the identification of physiological and behavioural causes is urged. In this sense, from the standpoint of immediate practice, it is necessary to identify indicators that reveal the existence of risk associated with the distribution of body fat [3,4]. According to Fariñas Rodríguez et al [5], the determination of body fat mass and its distribution in human beings is of great importance due to its predictive value with regard to morbidity. Two individuals with the same amount of body fat may present differences in the fat content found in their abdominal stores. 4.0/).

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