María Dolores Marrodán Serrano1, Marisa González-Montero de Espinosa2, Ángel Herráez3, Emma Laura Alfaro4, Ignacio Felipe Bejarano5, María Margarita Carmenate6, Consuelo Prado7, Delia Beatriz Lomaglio8, Noemí López-Ejeda9, Antonio Martínez10, María Soledad Mesa11, Betty Méndez Pérez12, Juana María Meléndez13, Susana Moreno Romero14, Jose Luis Pacheco15, Vanessa Vázquez16, José E Dipierri17. 1. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.. marrodan@ucm.es. 2. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.. mglezmontero@gmail.com. 3. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España. Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Universidad de Alcalá, España.. angel.herraez@uah.es. 4. Instituto de Biología de la Altura. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Argentina.. ealfaro@inbial.unju.edu.ar. 5. Instituto de Biología de la Altura. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Argentina.. bejarano@inbial.unju.edu.ar. 6. Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, España.. margarita.carmenate@uam.es. 7. Departamento de Biología. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, España.. consuelo.prado@uam.es. 8. Centro de Estudios de Antropología Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Catamarca, Argentina.. delialomaglio@yahoo.com. 9. Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Universidad de Alcalá, España.. noemi.lopez.ejeda@gmail.com. 10. Museo de Antropología Montané. Facultad de Biología, Universidad de la Habana, Cuba.. ajmf@fbio.uh.cu. 11. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.. mesa@ucm.es. 12. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales. Universidad Central de Venezuela.. bioantropologiaucv@gmail.com. 13. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, México.. jmelendez@ciad.mx. 14. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.. susana.moreno@wfp.org. 15. Grupo de Investigación Epinut. Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.. jpacheco@ucm.es. 16. Museo de Antropología Montané. Facultad de Biología, Universidad de la Habana, Cuba.. vanevaz@fbio.uh.cu. 17. Instituto de Biología de la Altura. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Argentina.. dipierri@inbial.unju.edu.ar.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: the assessment of the skinfold thickness is an objective measure of adiposity. Therefore, it is a useful tool for nutritional diagnosis and prevention of metabolic risk associated with excess fat in chilhood and adolescence. OBJECTIVE: to provide percentiles of subscapular and triceps skinfolds for Hispanic American schoolchildren and compare them with those published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from United States, that it have been commonly used as a reference in most of these countries. METHODS: subscapular and triceps skinfolds were measured in 9.973 schoolchildren 4-19 aged from Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico with Holtain caliper with 0.2 mm accuracy. Percentiles were obtained with the LMS statistical method and were presented in tables divided in stages of 6 months and in curves graphics. The difference between Hispanic American and CDC mean values were provided for P3, P50 and P97 in mm and also were graphically represented. RESULTS: skinfolds measurements obviously increased with age in both sexes but, in boys, this increase is much more marked in highest percentiles between 8 and 13 years; this maximum is reached earlier than what occurs in CDC reference. In both sexes, all percentiles analized in Hispanic American schoolchildren were higher than the CDC reference except P97 up to 10 or 13 years that was notably smaller. CONCLUSIONS: the skinfolds percentiles of Hispanic American children and adolescents differ from CDC that are usually used as reference. The values of subscapular and triceps skinfolds provided in this study, could be applied to populations of a similar ethnic background, especially in comparative studies of body composition. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION: the assessment of the skinfold thickness is an objective measure of adiposity. Therefore, it is a useful tool for nutritional diagnosis and prevention of metabolic risk associated with excess fat in chilhood and adolescence. OBJECTIVE: to provide percentiles of subscapular and triceps skinfolds for Hispanic American schoolchildren and compare them with those published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from United States, that it have been commonly used as a reference in most of these countries. METHODS: subscapular and triceps skinfolds were measured in 9.973 schoolchildren 4-19 aged from Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico with Holtain caliper with 0.2 mm accuracy. Percentiles were obtained with the LMS statistical method and were presented in tables divided in stages of 6 months and in curves graphics. The difference between Hispanic American and CDC mean values were provided for P3, P50 and P97 in mm and also were graphically represented. RESULTS: skinfolds measurements obviously increased with age in both sexes but, in boys, this increase is much more marked in highest percentiles between 8 and 13 years; this maximum is reached earlier than what occurs in CDC reference. In both sexes, all percentiles analized in Hispanic American schoolchildren were higher than the CDC reference except P97 up to 10 or 13 years that was notably smaller. CONCLUSIONS: the skinfolds percentiles of Hispanic American children and adolescents differ from CDC that are usually used as reference. The values of subscapular and triceps skinfolds provided in this study, could be applied to populations of a similar ethnic background, especially in comparative studies of body composition. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.