Estimation of obesity in schoolchildren by measuring skinfold thickness.

To determine whether skinfold thickness is correlated with degree of overweight, serum levels of cholesterol, and blood pressure in children, 161 boys and 167 girls aged 9 and 10 y underwent physical examinations at three elementary schools in Japan. Triceps skinfold thickness was positively correlated with degree of overweight, atherosclerosis index, and systolic blood pressure, and was negatively correlated with levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Among children who were highly overweight (> or = 30%), those with low triceps skinfold thickness (< 11.2 mm) have lower levels of HDL cholesterol, a higher atherosclerosis index, and higher systolic blood pressure than those with greater triceps skinfold thickness (> or = 11.2 mm). The ratio of degree of overweight to triceps skinfold thickness was significantly correlated with levels of HDL cholesterol in girls but not in boys. These results suggest that, in overweight schoolchildren, skinfold thickness may reflect the risk of future hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Measurement of triceps skinfold thickness and determination of degree of overweight may be useful for the estimation of obesity in children.