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Anthropometric reference values in an Afro‐Caribbean adolescent population
Author(s) -
Nichols Selby D.,
Cadogan Frances I.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.20671
Subject(s) - anthropometry , percentile , demography , obesity , body mass index , medicine , population , pediatrics , mathematics , endocrinology , statistics , sociology
Childhood and adolescent obesity is increasingly becoming a major public health issue in the Caribbean. In this study, we analyze patterns of growth in a population of Afro‐Caribbean adolescents 12–18 years old and to compare these with those established for US adolescents. A cross‐section of adolescent schoolchildren had weight and height measured using standardized procedures. In addition, percentage body fat (% BF) was measured using a foot‐to‐foot bioelectric impedance body fat analyzer (Tanita model 531). Selected age‐ and gender‐ specific percentiles of BMI, %BF, weight and height were derived and smoothed by cubic splines. These were compared with similar percentiles from US adolescent growth data. A total of 3,707 adolescents (1,585 males; 2,122 females) participated in the study. The age‐specific correlation between BMI and %BF ranged from 0.75 to 0.87 in males and 0.79 to 0.87 in females. Females had significantly higher %BF than males in each age category. Overall, Tobagonian females were heavier and had higher BMI than their US counterparts especially levels above the median percentiles. Tobagonian males had similar height, weight, and BMI to their US counterparts over the range of percentiles. Overall, the pattern of growth in this group of adolescents suggests that they are growing at rates that are comparable to those seen in a more well‐nourished population. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.