Body fat percentiles of Brazilian adolescents according to age and sexual maturation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine body fat percentiles of adolescents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, according to gender, age, and sexual maturation.MethodsThis study involved 4,690 adolescents aged 10–15 years across 31 schools in the city of São Paulo. Sexual maturation was assessed in terms of Tanner stage. The body fat percentage was calculated using skinfold thickness. Percentile curves were calculated using the LMS (curve, mean, and coefficient of variation) method.ResultsThe mean body fat percentages were lower in boys aged 10–12 and 13–15 years than in girls. Body fat percentages decreased progressively with sexual maturation in boys, but increased in girls. The 85th, 95th, and 97th percentiles represent the cutoff points for moderately elevated, elevated, and very elevated body fat percentages, respectively, in pre-pubescent boys (85th, 95th, and 97th percentiles: 32.54, 95 41.04, and 97, respectively) and pubescent boys (31.09, 36.30, and 44.33, respectively). These cutoff points were lower in pre-pubescent girls (29.52, 35.01, and 41.82, respectively) and in the 97th percentile in pubescent girls (31.55, 36.20, and 41.86, respectively).ConclusionTo our knowledge, these are the first body fat percentages cutoff points according to sexual maturation for adolescents aged 10–15 years in Brazil. Our results provide a significant contribution to the assessment of body composition in this population.

Influence of sexual maturation status on the relationship between body adiposity indicators and age: a cross-sectional study

“…In addition, we also observed that adiposity indicators tend to be higher in girls with precocious sexual maturation, but lower in those with late maturation. These findings are similar to those found in previous cross-sectional studies [15, 25] that the precocious onset of sexual maturation tend to be associated with obesity. In a study by Chipkevitch [31], girls have a higher fat deposition rate than boys, which intensifies after the peak of growth velocity during the menarche.…”

“…Although several other studies have examined the association between sexual maturation status and obesity [15, 17, 24, 25], few studies have related sexual maturation to adiposity indicators. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to analyze the influence of sexual maturation status on the relationship between increased body adiposity and age in Brazilian children.…”

“…While the practice of physical exercises is a protective factor for overweight [5–10]. Both pubertal repletion and spurt lead to weight gain and occur during puberty because of sexual maturation, which also influences bone age (a way of describing the degree of maturation of a child’s bones), body mass, body diameter and muscle circumference [15], as well as behavioral and psychological changes, such as loss of food control [16].…”

Elevated neck circumference and associated factors in adolescents

“…The sample was non – probabilistic, convenience, which evaluated 1774 adolescents, aged 10 to 17 years old, enrolled in last year’s primary and third year of high school. Sampling procedures, anthropometric measurements, and nutritional status assessments are published elsewhere [ 9 , 21 ].…”

Smoothed Body Composition Percentiles Curves for Mexican Children Aged 6 to 12 Years

“…Currently, there are no studies published in the literature that have generated body fat and lean mass percentile curves in Mexican children using the Lambda, Mu, and Sigma (LMS) method. These curves could serve as a diagnostic tool for overweight and childhood obesity [ 3 ], allowing the possibility of further study and comparison with other countries [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”