Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 963–975; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602612; published online 17 January 2007
Mexican anthropometric percentiles for ages 10–18
B E Del-Rio-Navarro1, O Velazquez-Monroy2, J I Santos-Preciado1, A Lara-Esqueda2, A Berber1, A Loredo-Abdala3, R Violante-Ortiz4 and R Tapia-Conyer5
- 1Hospital Infantil de Mexico, Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2National Centre for Epidemiological Vigilance, Direction for the Adult and Elderly Health Program, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
- 3Clinica de Atención Integral del Niño Maltratado, Instituto Nacional de Peditría, Mexico City, Mexico
- 4General Regional Hospital No. 6, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico
- 5Under-Secretary for the Prevention and Protection of Health, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico
Correspondence: Dr A Berber, Hospital Infantil de Mexico, Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico. E-mail: arturoberber@aol.com
Received 27 April 2006; Revised 15 November 2006; Accepted 15 November 2006; Published online 17 January 2007.
Abstract
Objective:
To elaborate Mexican growth charts based on international methodology.
Design:
Data were obtained from the Mexican National Health Survey. The survey was stratified and probabilistic representative of all the country.
Setting:
Nationwide open population living in urban and rural areas.
Subjects:
Boys (8545) and girls (9983) from 10 to 18 years participating in the survey.
Methods:
Age, weight and height were recorded. Empirical percentiles were calculated and smoothed. Smoothed curves were approximated using least-mean square estimation.
Results:
Tables and figures for percentile values of weight, height and body mass index (BMI) for age, as well as percentile values of weight and BMI for height for both genders are presented. Regarding 50th BMI for age percentiles, Mexicans had higher levels than the Americans in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts; Mexicans were lower but had similar weights than the Americans. Owing to the high BMI, the percentile corresponding to an overweight level (25 kg/m2) at 18 years was 74.5 in boys and 72.5 in girls, whereas obesity level (30 kg/m2) at 18 years was 97.3 and 97.4 in boys and girls, respectively.
Conclusions:
The present growth charts are snapshots of a Mexican population. Because the high median BMI compared to US and World Health Organization standards, we must be cautious in establishing an upper normal cutoff for clinical normality, not merely selecting the 85th and 95th percentiles as equivalents of overweight and obesity, respectively. Therefore, we proposed percentiles 74.5 in boys and 72.5 in girls as the action points of overweight as they are the percentiles corresponding to BMI 25 kg/m2 at 18 years.
Sponsorship:
The survey was supported by the Mexican Minister of Health. Statistical analyses were sponsored by Dr Del-Rio-Navarro.
Keywords:
growth charts, percentile, BMI, weight, overweight, Mexican
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