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Demographic and socioeconomic correlates of body fat assessed using DXA in US children and adolescents
Author(s) -
Nguyen Tuan Thanh,
Butte Nancy F,
Wang Youfa
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.974.14
Subject(s) - demography , medicine , socioeconomic status , obesity , body mass index , ethnic group , fat mass , zoology , population , endocrinology , environmental health , biology , sociology , anthropology
Few studies examined the association between accurately measured body fat (BF) and socio‐demographic characteristics using nationally representative data in the US. We studied BF distribution and its association with socio‐demographic characteristics, including age, sex, race/ethnicity and poverty income ratio (PIR) in 8–19‐y‐old US youth in NHANES 1999–2004 (n = 7479). BF (measured by DXA) was used in continuous (%BF and fat mass index (FMI = fat mass/height 2 (kg/m 2 )) and categorical (normal, overfat, and excess fat; using %BF cut points 25%, 30% for boys and 30%, 35% for girls) scales. The sex‐race‐specific prevalence of overfat+excess fat was: in boys, 45%, 33% and 57%; and in girls, 63%, 58% and 72%, in whites, blacks and Mexican Americans, respectively. Low‐income youth had higher %BF, FMI, overfat+excess fat rate. The distribution of %BF and FMI varied substantially by age, sex and ethnicity. After controlling for these factors, (1) one unit increase in PIR (scales 0 to 5‐high income) associated with a decrease by ~0.2 kg/m 2 FMI, 0.5% (absolute) BF, and 14% (relative) in excess fat rate ( P < 0.001); (2) compared with participants with PIR ≥4, those with PIR < 3 had an increase of ~1 kg/m 2 FMI, 2% BF (absolute), and 70% (relative) in excess fat rate ( P < 0.001; P trend < 0.05). Higher prevalence of excess body fat among US children from low‐income families calls for targeted strategies to fight pediatric obesity. Main source of research support: NIH/NIDDK (R01DK81335‐01A1), NIH/NICHD (1R01HD064685‐01A1, 1R03HD058077‐01A1, R03HD058077‐01A1S1), Vietnam Educational Foundation (VEF), and Thrasher Research Fund.