College of Health and Welfare, J.F. Oberlin University, 3758 Tokiwamachi, Machida, Tokyo194-0294, Japan.
Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama359-1192, Japan.
Br J Nutr. 2023 Jul 28;130(2):261-267. doi: 10.1017/S0007114522003269. Epub 2022 Oct 27.
It is difficult to easily estimate skeletal muscle (SM) volume in children. We aimed to develop regression-based prediction equations to estimate the total body and regional SM volume using calliper measurements of skinfold thickness and limb circumference and to investigate the validity of these equations. In total, 142 healthy, prepubertal, Japanese children, aged 6-12 years, were divided into two groups: the model development group (sixty boys, thirty-eight girls) and the validation group (twenty-six boys, eighteen girls). Contiguous magnetic resonance images were obtained from the first cervical vertebra to the ankle joints as reference data. SM volume was calculated from the summation of the digitised cross-sectional areas. Limb and waist circumferences were measured at mid-upper arm, mid-thigh, maximal calf and at the level of umbilicus. Each girth was corrected for subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness, as estimated by skinfold thickness measurements. Skinfold thickness was measured at the posterior upper arm, anterior thigh, medial calf and lateral to the umbilicus, using callipers. Significant correlations were observed between the site-matched SM volume, measured by MRI, and each corrected girth × standing height value in the model development group. When these SM volume prediction equations were applied to the validation group, the measured total body and regional SM volume were similar to the predicted values. These results suggest that the anthropometric prediction equations developed in this study provide reliable information about the total and regional SM volume in prepubertal Japanese children, with varying degrees of estimation accuracy for each region.
评估儿童的骨骼肌（SM）体积较为困难。本研究旨在建立基于回归的预测方程，使用皮褶厚度和四肢周径的卡尺测量值来估算全身和各部位 SM 体积，并探讨这些方程的有效性。总共纳入了 142 名健康的青春期前日本儿童，年龄为 6-12 岁，分为模型建立组（60 名男孩，38 名女孩）和验证组（26 名男孩，18 名女孩）。使用磁共振成像从第一颈椎到踝关节连续获得参考数据。SM 体积通过数字化的横截面积总和计算得出。在上臂中部、大腿中部、最大小腿和脐部水平测量四肢和腰围。每个周长均通过皮褶厚度测量估计的皮下脂肪组织厚度进行校正。使用卡尺在上臂后部、大腿前部、小腿内侧和脐部外侧测量皮褶厚度。在模型建立组中，观察到 MRI 测量的部位匹配的 SM 体积与每个校正的周长×身高值之间存在显著相关性。当将这些 SM 体积预测方程应用于验证组时，所测量的全身和各部位 SM 体积与预测值相似。这些结果表明，本研究中建立的人体测量预测方程可以为青春期前日本儿童的全身和各部位 SM 体积提供可靠信息，并且对每个部位的估计准确性存在差异。
