Abstract
BackgroundDifferences in total body and regional adiposity according to sex are observed from an early age, but these differences become more evident after puberty due to hormonal changes. We aimed to assess the evolution of total body and regional adiposity from 18 to 22 years of age and the associated sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics.MethodsIn total, 3274 individuals from the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort study followed up at 18 and 22 years of age. Measures of total body and regional adiposity were assessed using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the TC2 Three-Dimensional Photonic Scanner. We used fat mass index obtained from DXA as a measure of total body adiposity, and android and gynoid fat mass percentages (android or gynoid fat mass [kg]/total fat mass [kg])*100) as measures of regional adiposity. In addition, waist, hip and thigh circumferences from the photonic scanner were also used as measures of regional adiposity. We evaluated these measurements at 18 and 22 years of age by sex and estimated differences between them according to sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics.ResultsWhile men and women did not differ in terms of BMI, females exhibited a higher fat mass index, gynoid fat mass percentage, and hip and thigh circumferences; men exhibited higher android fat mass percentage and waist circumference at both time points. Increases in all body measurements from age 18 to 22 were observed in men and women, except for gynoid fat mass percentage, which decreased in both sexes. Socioeconomic position and race were the independent variables most associated with adiposity rising from age 18 to 22 in women, with black women and women of lower socioeconomic positions exhibiting larger increases in adiposity.ConclusionThere was an increase in adiposity and a centralization of body shape from late adolescence to early adulthood, indicating possible early risks for noncommunicable diseases in this cohort.
Highlights
High prevalence of overweight and obesity are important public health concerns worldwide, representing a risk factor for several diseases [1, 2]
1⁄4 of the total sample was born to overweight or obese mothers, and 7.8% of the sample were born to adolescent mothers
Our study assessed the evolution of total body and regional adiposity measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and a 3-D Photonic
Summary
High prevalence of overweight and obesity are important public health concerns worldwide, representing a risk factor for several diseases [1, 2]. Obesity in adolescence may be assessed through body mass index (BMI)-for-age by comparison to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007 reference [5]. In contrast to BMI, several body composition methods can define the extent to which body weight is composed of fat mass and lean mass. It is important to look beyond overall body adiposity and take the distribution of body fat into account, since investigations have shown independent. We aimed to assess the evolution of total body and regional adiposity from 18 to 22 years of age and the associated sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics
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