[Body fat percentage and anthropometric parameters in children with obesity].

THE AIM

of this study is a comparison of body fat percentage with anthropometric parameters and correlation of waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with total body fat in children with obesity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

the study included 324 children aged 7-18 years (173 girls and 151 boys). The parameters: body height and weight, waist and hip circumference, skinfold thickness, percentage of body fat by bioelectrical bioimpedance (BIA) were measured. BMI, WHR, WHtR, percent of body fat by Slaughter were calculated. Waist circumference was analysed according to percentiles chart by Nawarycz. WHtR >or= 0.5 as abnormal were accepted.

RESULTS

Significant correlation between percentage of body fat by two methods and somatic parameters were observed. In 92.3% patients waist circumference was >95 percentile. WHtR higher than 0.5 in 85.6% girls and 96.7%o boys was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

1. The percentage of body fat by BIA is comparable with results using Slaughter equation. 2. In children with obesity in our study WHtR is higher than 0.5 in both sexes. 3. No correlation between percentage of body fat and WHtR was found in our group.