Abstract
Objective. A number of measures of childhood adiposity are in use, but all are relatively imprecise and prone to bias. We constructed an adiposity index (AI) using a number of different measures. Methods. Detailed body composition data on 460 of the Gateshead Millennium Study cohort at the age of 6–8 years were analysed. The AI was calculated using factor analysis on age plus thirteen measures of adiposity and/or size. Correlations between these variables, the AI, and more traditional measures of adiposity in children were investigated. Results. Based on the factor loading sizes, the first component, taken to be the AI, consisted mainly of measures of fat-mass (the skinfold measurements, fat mass score, and waist circumference). The second comprised variables measuring frame size, while the third consisted mainly of age. The AI had a high correlation with body mass index (BMI) (rho = 0.81). Conclusions. While BMI is practical for assessing adiposity in children, the AI combines a wider range of data related to adiposity than BMI alone and appears both valid and valuable as a research tool for studies of childhood adiposity. Further research is necessary to investigate the utility of AI for research in other samples of children and also in adults.
Highlights
It is well known that the prevalence of childhood obesity has increased rapidly in most parts of the world [1]
This paper describes how this index was constructed and how it relates to known correlates of adiposity and to the most widely used measure, body mass index (BMI)
Complete body composition data were available for 460 children, 227 boys and 233 girls
Summary
It is well known that the prevalence of childhood obesity has increased rapidly in most parts of the world [1]. While the recent evidence suggesting a levelling off in the incidence of childhood overweight and obesity is promising [2], the prevalence of excess weight in children continues to be an urgent public health challenge. Childhood obesity is known to be an important risk factor for future morbidity and risk of early mortality [3]. Obese children are more likely to experience psychological or psychiatric problems than nonobese children, and the risk of psychological morbidity increases with age [3, 4]. While the presence of high rates of childhood obesity at population levels is evident, it is less clear how to best identify children with excess adiposity at an individual level. There are a number of measures of childhood adiposity currently in use, all of which are relatively imprecise and prone to bias
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