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Body composition of 4- and 5-year-old New Zealand girls: a DXA study of initial adiposity and subsequent 4-year fat change

International Journal of Obesity volume 27, pages 410–415 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dual-energy X-ray information (DXA) quantitating body fat mass and percentage fat in healthy children of preschool age is scarce.

OBJECTIVE: To study the initial variability in body composition and subsequent longitudinalchanges in absolute fat mass (kg) and relative adiposity (fat percentage) in a sample of contemporary young New Zealand girls.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with a longitudinal component.

SETTING: University research unit.

SUBJECTS: A total of 89 Caucasian girls aged 4–5 y were recruited by advertisement at baseline and 4-y changes in body composition were evaluated in 23 of these girls.

METHODS: Total body composition was measured by DXA, height and weight by anthropometry.

RESULTS: Baseline values for fat mass varied more than values for lean mass or bone mass. Girls from the upper third of our fat percentage distribution (% fat >19.2%) had more than twice the fat mass (5.34 vs 2.31 kg, P<0.001) of those from the lowest third (% fat <15.4%). The percentage gain in fat mass over 4 y (124 (95% CI 90–163) also exceeded the percentage gain of lean mass (55 (95% CI 51–59). In data adjusted for age and height, 63.5% of the variance in percentage body fat at time 2 was explained by fat mass at time one.

CONCLUSIONS: In girls, the trajectory of fat gain appears to be established at a young age. Our results support the view that body fatness tracks strongly before puberty. Since preventing the accumulation of excessive fat is preferable to reduction of existing excessive fat stores, it is important to put in place strategies to limit excessive fat gain early in life.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the participants and their families for their willing cooperation and interest in our study. This work was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, and the Otago Medical Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    A Goulding, I E Jones & N J Lewis-Barned

  2. Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    R W Taylor

  3. Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    S M Williams

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  1. A Goulding
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  2. R W Taylor
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  3. I E Jones
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  4. N J Lewis-Barned
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  5. S M Williams
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Correspondence to A Goulding.

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Goulding, A., Taylor, R., Jones, I. et al. Body composition of 4- and 5-year-old New Zealand girls: a DXA study of initial adiposity and subsequent 4-year fat change. Int J Obes 27, 410–415 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802236

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