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Body fat at pubertal genital stage 2: a comparison between Spanish and Mexican boys

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 732–738 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

To compare body fat mass at the same stage of pubertal maturation, genital stage 2 (G2), in a Spanish and in a Mexican sample of boys.

Subjects/Methods:

Data from Spain (n=177) were from a previous longitudinal clinical follow-up and data from Mexico (n=91) from a cross-sectional study. Subjects were grouped according to the presence of G2 at similar ages. Spanish sample was divided into boys with G2 at age 12 (n=60), 13 (n=74) and 14 (n=43). In Mexican sample, 23 boys were at G2 at 12 years, 38 at age 13 and 30 at 14 years. Height, weight, upper arm circumference and four skinfold thicknesses were recorded. Genital development was assessed (Tanner scale). Sum of four skinfolds (SUM), body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (%BF) and extremity/trunk skinfold ratio (ETR=(triceps+biceps)/(subscapular+suprailiac)) was calculated.

Results:

When comparing subjects with different ages at G2 from the same country, or with the same age at G2 from different countries, no significant differences were found in adiposity variables (%BF, SUM), nor in BMI. Nevertheless, there were differences in body fat distribution: ETR was higher in Spanish boys (P<0.001), because of their greater triceps skinfold thickness (P=0.013), and due to the greater trunk fat stores in Mexican boys (P<0.01, subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds).

Conclusions:

There is a subcutaneous fat mass store characteristic of G2 in boys, which is not only independent of age, but is also observable in two different populations.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the children and the staff of the Escuela Secundaria Pública 21 mixta Licenciado Benito Juárez (Guadalajara, Jalisco), for their enthusiastic collaboration in the data collection. We also thank the Spanish children for their cooperation throughout the study. Dr Carlos Martí-Henneberg was involved in this work until the pre-final version of the paper. He will always be remembered for his brilliant vision and also as an outstanding human being. We thank reviewers for their pertinent comments that had enhanced the clearness of the paper. The Spanish study was sponsored by Danone SA (Spain) and the Mexican study by CONACYT SIMORELOS (project no. 19980302009), Secretaría de Educación Jalisco, OPD-Hospitales Civiles de Guadalajara, UMF no. 93 del IMSS ‘Tonalá’ and Universidad de Guadalajara.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Reproducción Humana, Crecimiento y Desarrollo Infantil, División de Disciplinas Clínicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    B Vizmanos, N Quezada-Figueroa & E M Vásquez-Garibay

  2. Pediatria. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, España

    B Vizmanos, D Llop-Viñolas & C Martí-Henneberg

  3. Higiene Escolar, Secretaría de Educación Jalisco, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    M Sánchez-Sucilla

  4. Medicina Preventiva i Salut Pública, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, España

    J D Fernández-Ballart

  5. Unidad de Investigación Social, Epidemiológica y de Servicios de Salud (UISESS), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    A L Salcedo-Rocha

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  1. B Vizmanos
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  3. N Quezada-Figueroa
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  5. J D Fernández-Ballart
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  6. A L Salcedo-Rocha
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  7. E M Vásquez-Garibay
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  8. C Martí-Henneberg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Vizmanos.

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Guarantor: B Vizmanos.

Contributors: Main investigators (BV and CM-H) conceived the study. BV designed and supervised the Mexican study, performed analyses and wrote most of the first draft of the paper. CM-H was the initiator of the Spanish study with JDFB, and both, with BV and DL-V collaborated in the analyses, writing and discussion. NQ-F, MS-S, ALS-R and EMV-G contributed to the implementation of the Mexican study, collaborated in the fieldwork and contributed to the writing of the paper.

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Vizmanos, B., Llop-Viñolas, D., Quezada-Figueroa, N. et al. Body fat at pubertal genital stage 2: a comparison between Spanish and Mexican boys. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 732–738 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2008.37

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