Division of Community Health Sciences, St George's, University of London, London, UK.
Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Feb;40(1):33-44. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyq180. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
The objective of this study was to examine adiposity patterns in UK South Asian, black African-Caribbean and white European children using a range of adiposity markers. A cross-sectional survey in London, Birmingham and Leicester primary schools was conducted. Weight, height, waist circumference, skinfold thickness values (biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) were measured. Fat mass was derived from bioimpedance; optimally height-standardized indices were derived for all adiposity markers. Ethnic origin was based on parental self-report. Multilevel models were used to obtain adjusted means and ethnic differences adjusted for gender, age, month, observer and school (fitted as a random effect). A total of 5887 children aged 9-10 years participated (response rate 68%), including 1345 white Europeans, 1523 South Asians and 1570 black African-Caribbeans.
Compared with white Europeans, South Asians had a higher sum of all skinfolds and fat mass percentage, and their body mass index (BMI) was lower. South Asians were slightly shorter but use of optimally height-standardized indices did not materially affect these comparisons. At any given fat mass, BMI was lower in South Asians than white Europeans. In similar comparisons, black African-Caribbeans had a lower sum of all skinfolds but a higher fat mass percentage, and their BMI was higher. Black African-Caribbeans were markedly taller. Use of optimally height-standardized indices yielded markedly different findings; sum of skinfolds index was markedly lower, whereas fat mass index and weight-for-height index were similar. At any given fat mass, BMI was similar in black African-Caribbeans and white Europeans.
UK South Asian children have higher adiposity levels and black African-Caribbeans have similar or lower adiposity levels when compared with white Europeans. However, these differences are not well represented by comparisons based on BMI, which systematically underestimates adiposity in South Asians, and in black African-Caribbeans it overestimates adiposity because of its association with height.
本研究旨在使用多种肥胖指标，研究英国南亚裔、非裔加勒比裔和白种欧洲儿童的肥胖模式。在伦敦、伯明翰和莱斯特的小学进行了横断面调查。测量体重、身高、腰围、皮褶厚度值（肱二头肌、肱三头肌、肩胛下和髂嵴上）。通过生物阻抗法得出体脂肪量；为所有肥胖指标得出最佳身高标准化指数。种族来源基于父母的自我报告。使用多水平模型获得调整后的平均值和调整后的种族差异，这些差异考虑了性别、年龄、月份、观察者和学校（作为随机效应拟合）。共有 5887 名 9-10 岁的儿童参与（应答率为 68%），包括 1345 名白种欧洲人、1523 名南亚裔和 1570 名非裔加勒比人。
与白种欧洲人相比，南亚人所有皮褶和体脂肪百分比都较高，而他们的体重指数（BMI）较低。南亚人略矮，但使用最佳身高标准化指数并没有实质性地影响这些比较。在任何给定的体脂肪量下，南亚人的 BMI 都低于白种欧洲人。在类似的比较中，非裔加勒比人的所有皮褶总和较低，但体脂肪百分比较高，BMI 也较高。非裔加勒比人明显更高。使用最佳身高标准化指数得出的结果有明显的差异；皮褶总和指数明显较低，而体脂肪指数和体重身高指数相似。在任何给定的体脂肪量下，非裔加勒比人和白种欧洲人的 BMI 相似。
与白种欧洲人相比，英国南亚裔儿童的肥胖水平较高，而非裔加勒比裔儿童的肥胖水平相似或较低。然而，这些差异不能通过基于 BMI 的比较很好地体现，BMI 系统地低估了南亚人的肥胖程度，而在非裔加勒比人中，由于 BMI 与身高有关，它高估了肥胖程度。
