Body composition metabolic status and definitions of overweight in Guatemalan Children

Objective To examine correlations of body mass index (BMI) or % total body fat (%TF) with metabolic biomarkers of chronic disease risk and to explore differences in prevalence of overweight according to BMI‐based definitions by WHO, CDC, and IOTF criteria. Methods We measured anthropometry, %TF (DXA), lipid profile, and insulin resistance in a convenience sample of 95 Guatemalan Ladino children 7–12 y‐old. We compared Spearman correlation coefficients of BMI vs. %TF with metabolic biomarkers. Next, we compared the prevalence of overweight as estimated using WHO, CDC, or IOTF criteria. Results Correlations of %TF with HOMA‐IR (r=0.64), total cholesterol‐to‐HDL ratio (r=0.60), and triglycerides (r=0.55) were higher than those of BMI (r=0.60, 0.54, and 0.50, respectively). The correlation of %TF with BMI was 0.84. Prevalence of overweight according to WHO, CDC, and IOTF criteria was 44%, 38% and 40%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions Prevalence of overweight varies according to BMI‐based criteria. Since %TF is more strongly related to metabolic parameters than BMI, a formal evaluation of BMI‐based definitions of childhood overweight is warranted in this population. Source of Research Support: Global Health Initiative, Collaborating Centers of Excellence, NHLBI