Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective: To determine new body mass index (BMI) reference values to classify the nutritional status of children aged six to ten years old from the city of Montes Claros (state of Minas Gerais), Southeast Brazil.Methods: The sample consisted of 3,863 individuals from both genders. Body mass and height were measured to determine the BMI. We adopted the Lambda, Mu, and Sigma (LMS) method to obtain the cut-off points. After that, each stratum curve was smoothed using quartic polynomials by gender. Average interpolation was used to determine the biannual distribution values. We calculated the 3rd, 85th, and 95th centiles to classify underweight, overweight, and obesity, respectively, according to gender and age.Results: After tabulating the LMS parameters at biannual intervals by gender, we plotted a graphic with seven centiles of BMI distribution and calculated the new BMI parameters for children aged 6-10 years old from the city of Montes Claros. The cut-off values for underweight, overweight, and obesity classification were, respectively, 17.5, 25 and 30 kg/m2.Conclusions: For the studied children, the use of traditional BMI references may result in the overestimation of underweight and underestimation of overweight and obesity. Studies should be carried out with periodic updates, respecting the characteristics of each location in order to use BMI reference values to classify the nutritional status of children and adolescents.
Highlights
Obesity is considered one of the main public health problems worldwide, reaching increasing proportions regardless of social class, gender, and age group.[1]
Considering that Brazil is a continental-size country with distinct geographic features, marked by ethnic and cultural plurality, as well as great socioeconomic inequality, and that Montes Claros, a Northern Minas Gerais city located in the Southeast Region of Brazil, presents socioeconomic indicators closer to those of less favored regions (North and Northeast),[12] it is possible that the body mass index (BMI) reference values for the child population of this city might be different from those adopted nationally and internationally
The present study aims to determine new BMI reference values to classify the nutritional status of children aged six to 10 years in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Summary
Obesity is considered one of the main public health problems worldwide, reaching increasing proportions regardless of social class, gender, and age group.[1]. Considering that Brazil is a continental-size country with distinct geographic features, marked by ethnic and cultural plurality, as well as great socioeconomic inequality, and that Montes Claros, a Northern Minas Gerais city located in the Southeast Region of Brazil (the most developed in the country), presents socioeconomic indicators closer to those of less favored regions (North and Northeast),[12] it is possible that the BMI reference values for the child population of this city might be different from those adopted nationally and internationally. The present study aims to determine new BMI reference values to classify the nutritional status of children aged six to 10 years in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
