BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI)-for-age has been recommended as a screening test for excess adiposity in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: We quantified the performance of standard categories of BMI-for-age relative to the population prevalence of high adiposity in children and adolescents overall and by race-ethnic group in a nationally representative US population sample by using definitions of high adiposity that are consistent with expert committee recommendations. DESIGN: Percentage body fat in 8821 children and adolescents aged 8-19 y was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1999-2004 as part of a health examination survey. RESULTS: With the use of several different cutoffs for percentage fat to define high adiposity, most children with high BMI-for-age (> or = 95th percentile of the growth charts) had high adiposity, and few children with normal BMI-for-age (<85th percentile) had high adiposity. The prevalence of high adiposity in intermediate BMI categories varied from 45% to 15% depending on the cutoff. The prevalence of a high BMI was significantly higher in non-Hispanic black girls than in non-Hispanic white girls, but the prevalence of high adiposity was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Current BMI cutoffs can identify a high prevalence of high adiposity in children with high BMI-for-age and a low prevalence of high adiposity in children with normal BMI-for-age. By these adiposity measures, less than one-half of children with intermediate BMIs-for-age (85th to <95th percentile) have high adiposity. Differences in high BMI ranges between race-ethnic groups do not necessarily indicate differences in high adiposity.
BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI)-for-age has been recommended as a screening test for excess adiposity in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: We quantified the performance of standard categories of BMI-for-age relative to the population prevalence of high adiposity in children and adolescents overall and by race-ethnic group in a nationally representative US population sample by using definitions of high adiposity that are consistent with expert committee recommendations. DESIGN: Percentage body fat in 8821 children and adolescents aged 8-19 y was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1999-2004 as part of a health examination survey. RESULTS: With the use of several different cutoffs for percentage fat to define high adiposity, most children with high BMI-for-age (> or = 95th percentile of the growth charts) had high adiposity, and few children with normal BMI-for-age (<85th percentile) had high adiposity. The prevalence of high adiposity in intermediate BMI categories varied from 45% to 15% depending on the cutoff. The prevalence of a high BMI was significantly higher in non-Hispanic black girls than in non-Hispanic white girls, but the prevalence of high adiposity was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Current BMI cutoffs can identify a high prevalence of high adiposity in children with high BMI-for-age and a low prevalence of high adiposity in children with normal BMI-for-age. By these adiposity measures, less than one-half of children with intermediate BMIs-for-age (85th to <95th percentile) have high adiposity. Differences in high BMI ranges between race-ethnic groups do not necessarily indicate differences in high adiposity.
Authors: Sarah E Barlow; Sonal R Bobra; Michael B Elliott; Ross C Brownson; Debra Haire-Joshu Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2007-01 Impact factor: 5.002
Authors: Jody C Miller; Andrea M Grant; Bernadette F Drummond; Sheila M Williams; Rachael W Taylor; Ailsa Goulding Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2007-01 Impact factor: 5.002
Authors: Dale A Schoeller; Frances A Tylavsky; David J Baer; William C Chumlea; Carrie P Earthman; Thomas Fuerst; Tamara B Harris; Steven B Heymsfield; Mary Horlick; Timothy G Lohman; Henry C Lukaski; John Shepherd; Roger M Siervogel; Lori G Borrud Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2005-05 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Lori G Borrud; Katherine M Flegal; Anne C Looker; James E Everhart; Tamara B Harris; John A Shepherd Journal: Vital Health Stat 11 Date: 2010-04
Authors: M Lee; R W Nahhas; A C Choh; E W Demerath; D L Duren; W C Chumlea; R J Sherwood; B Towne; R M Siervogel; S A Czerwinski Journal: Osteoporos Int Date: 2010-10-26 Impact factor: 4.507
Authors: Aaron S Kelly; Marsha D Marcus; Jack A Yanovski; Susan Z Yanovski; Stavroula K Osganian Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2018-10-03 Impact factor: 5.095