Cross-sectional Study of Characteristics of Body Composition of 24,845 Children and Adolescents Aged 3-17 Years in Suzhou

Overview

Journal BMC Pediatr

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2023 Jul 13

PMID 37442965

Authors

Yan Zhao

Jin-Xin Gong

Yi-Ting Ji

Xiao-Yun Zhao

Lu He

Shi-Zhong Cai

Xiang-Ming Yan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: We aimed to analyze the characteristics of the body composition of children and adolescents aged 3-17 in Suzhou, China.

Methods: A cross-sectional study between January 2020 and June 2022 using bioelectrical impedance was conducted to determine the fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass, and protein and mineral contents of 24,845 children aged 3-17 who attended the Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, China. Measurement data was presented in tables as mean ± SD, and groups were compared using the independent samples t-test.

Results: FM and fat-free mass increased with age in both boys and girls. The fat-free mass of girls aged 14-15 decreased after reaching a peak, and that of boys in the same age group was higher than that of the girls (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in FM between boys and girls younger than 9- and 10-years old. The percentage body fat (PBF) and FM index of girls increased rapidly between 11 and 15 years of age (p < 0.05), and those of boys aged 11-14 were significantly lower (p < 0.05), suggesting that the increase in body mass index (BMI) was mainly contributed by muscle mass (MM) in boys.

Conclusions: The body composition of children and adolescents varies according to their age and sex. A misdiagnosis of obesity made on the basis of BMI alone can be avoided if BMI is used in combination with FM index, percentage body fat, and other indexes.

Citing Articles

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