Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 70808 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4124, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 Jun;21(6):1251-5. doi: 10.1002/oby.20210. Epub 2013 May 13.
This study investigated ethnic and sex differences in the distribution of fat during childhood and adolescence.
A cross-sectional sample (n = 382), aged 5-18 years, included African American males (n = 84), White males (n = 96), African American females (n = 118), and White females (n = 84). Measures for total body fat (TBF) mass and abdominal adipose tissue (total volume and L4-L5 cross-sectional area) for both subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) depots were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance image, respectively. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used to determine ethnic and sex differences in TBF (adjusted for age) and ethnic and sex differences in SAT and VAT (adjusted for both age and TBF).
Age-adjusted TBF was greater in African Americans (P = 0.017) and females (P < 0.0001) compared with Whites and males, respectively. In age- and TBF-adjusted ANCOVAs, no differences were found in the SAT. The VAT volume was, however, greater in Whites (P < 0.0001) and males (P < 0.0001) compared with African Americans and females, respectively. Similar patterns were observed in SAT and VAT area at L4-L5.
The demonstrated ethnic and sex differences are important confounders in the prevalence of obesity and in the assignment of disease risk in children and adolescents.
本研究旨在探讨儿童和青少年时期脂肪分布的种族和性别差异。
本横断面研究样本（n = 382）年龄为 5-18 岁，包括非裔美国男性（n = 84）、白种男性（n = 96）、非裔美国女性（n = 118）和白种女性（n = 84）。通过双能 X 射线吸收法和磁共振成像分别评估总身体脂肪（TBF）质量和腹部脂肪组织（总容积和 L4-L5 横截面积）的皮下脂肪组织（SAT）和内脏脂肪组织（VAT）的含量。采用协方差分析（ANCOVA）来确定 TBF（调整年龄后）的种族和性别差异，以及 SAT 和 VAT（同时调整年龄和 TBF 后）的种族和性别差异。
与白人相比，非裔美国人（P = 0.017）和女性（P < 0.0001）的 TBF 调整年龄后更大；与男性相比，女性（P < 0.0001）的 TBF 调整年龄后更大。在年龄和 TBF 调整后的 ANCOVA 中，SAT 没有差异。然而，白人（P < 0.0001）和男性（P < 0.0001）的 VAT 容积明显大于非裔美国人（P < 0.0001）和女性（P < 0.0001）。在 L4-L5 处，SAT 和 VAT 面积也观察到类似的模式。
本研究结果表明，种族和性别差异是儿童和青少年肥胖症流行和疾病风险评估的重要混杂因素。
