Atherosclerosis precursors in Finnish children and adolescents. II. Height, weight, body mass index, and skinfolds, and their correlation to metabolic variables.

In a Finnish Multicentre Study, height, weight and skinfold thicknesses were measured in 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-, and 18-year-old children (N = 3,596). Height and weight percentiles superimposed on the current Finnish growth charts were above the standards in 6-15-year-old boys and 3-12-year-old girls. Triceps skinfold thickness percentiles (10% and 90%) appeared to be closest to British values and below American values. Weight, body mass index (BMI) and skinfold thicknesses showed good intercorrelations (up to .90) except in young boys. Height had a low positive correlation with BMI (.28 to .36) and with skinfold thickness (.23 to .36) in the age groups 6-12 years. BMI and subscapular skinfold seem to be useful obesity indicators. No consistent correlations were seen between physical variables and serum LDL- or total cholesterol and apoprotein B concentrations. There was a slight negative correlation between the physical variables and serum HDL-cholesterol. Apoprotein A1 correlated negatively to all obesity indicators in 12-year-old girls. Serum triglycerides showed slight positive correlation to physical variables. BMI and skinfolds had a low to moderate correlation with insulin (.21-.51) mainly in the three oldest age groups. On the ground of BMI and skinfold measurements we have reason to believe that the prevalence of obesity at 3-18 years of age is similar in Finland as in other countries in Europe.