Body phenotypes and sexual maturation in Brazilian and US adolescents: evidence for a change in BMI category

Abstract

Objective: Our study aimed to describe body phenotypes (BP) estimated by multivariate analysis and their association with body mass. Design: Body phenotypes were defined based on demographic variables, anthropometric data (body mass, height, skinfolds and circumferences), body composition (phase angle measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis), biochemical parameters (triglycerides, glucose, total cholesterol ratio/Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), haemoglobin and sexual maturation (pubic hair and breasts or gonads). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to verify the differences between skin colour and the stages of pubertal development, body phenotypes, body composition, anthropometric, and biochemical variables. Setting: Cities of São Paulo-SP, Piracicaba-SP and Florianópolis-SC from Brazil and the United States. Participants: 9269 adolescents aged between 10 to 15 years old. Results: The composition of BP was similar in all surveys, which are: BP1 was composed by skinfolds, body mass and circumferences variables; BP2 by pubic hair, breast in girls or gonad in boys, height and age; BP3 by cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose; and BP4 by phase angle, haemoglobin and glucose (negative loading). There was a strong correlation (r = 0.9, p <0.001) between BP1 and body mass index. Conclusion: We highlighted independence observed between biochemical parameters, anthropometry, body composition and sexual maturation. BP may support the calculation of scores for diagnosis of obesity based on anthropometric variables and overcome ambiguity in the isolated use of body mass index.

Age-, sex-, and maturity-associated variation in the phase angle after adjusting for size in adolescents

“…Recently, the interest in applied research interpreting PhA in children and adolescents, particularly in youth sports, has increased notably ( 14 – 19 ). The PhA values should increase with adolescence and should be more pronounced in boys than girls ( 10 , 13 ).…”

Association of dietary patterns and body phenotypes in Brazilian adolescents

“…These biological measurements were used in our analysis without assumptions, and BP analysis is reproducible in other adolescent populations. 18 The perspective of analysis to investigate the relationship between DPs and nutritional status indicators presented in our study is still recent and unprecedented in the type of proposal presented here. The use of DPs to examine the association between diet and health outcomes is innovative.…”

Associação entre padrões alimentares e fenótipos corporais em adolescentes brasileiros

“…Essas medidas biológicas foram utilizadas em nossa análise sem suposições, e a análise do FC é reprodutível em outras populações de adolescentes. 18 A perspectiva de análise para investigar a relação entre PAs e indicadores do estado nutricional apresentada em nosso estudo ainda é recente e inédita no tipo de proposta aqui apresentada. O uso de PA para examinar a associação entre alimentação e desfechos de saúde é inovador.…”