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Body fat distribution reference standards in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 1798–1805 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To present body fat patterning reference standards to identify children with a predominant distribution of body fat in the abdominal or truncal region of the body.

Design:

Cross-sectional study in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents aged 13–18 years.

Subjects:

A total of 2160 adolescents with a complete set of anthropometric measurements (1109 males and 1051 females).

Measurements:

Weight, height, body mass index, skinfold thickness (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, thigh, calf) and waist and hip circumferences.

Results:

In the majority of the age groups, subscapular/triceps skinfolds ratio, trunk-to-total skinfolds percent (TTS%)and waist circumference values were significantly higher in males than in females; hip circumference was higher in females than in males, except at 15.5 years. In males, age showed a significant effect for all the body fat distribution indices; however, in females, the effect was only significant for triceps skinfold, waist and hip circumferences and waist-to-hip ratio. Smoothed age- and sex-specific triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, subscapular/triceps skinfolds ratio, TTS%, waist circumference and hip circumference, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratio percentile values for male and female adolescents have been established.

Conclusion:

These reference data for waist circumference and the other fat patterning indices, together with data from other countries, will help to establish international central obesity criteria for adolescents. The presented percentile values will give the possibility to estimate the proportion of adolescents with high or low regional adiposity amounts.

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Acknowledgements

The AVENA Study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS 00/0015), and grants from Panrico SA, Madaus SA and Procter and Gamble SA. This study was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education (AP2004-2745) and by grants from the CSD (109/UPBSI/03; 13/UPB20/04).

Author information

Author notes

  1. See Appendix.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EU Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    L A Moreno, M I Mesana, J Fleta & Jf León

  2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación Física y del Deporte, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    M González-Gross

  3. Departamento de Nutrición y Metabolismo, Grupo Inmunonutrición, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain

    M González-Gross, J Wärnberg & A Marcos

  4. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y del Deporte, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain

    C M Gil

  5. Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Grupo EFFECTS-262, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

    F B Ortega

  6. Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden

    J Wärnberg

  7. Departamento de Pediatría, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    M Bueno

Authors
  1. L A Moreno
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  8. Jf León
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  9. A Marcos
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  10. M Bueno
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Consortia

the AVENA Study Group

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L A Moreno.

Appendix

Appendix

Coordinator

A Marcos, Madrid.

Local coordinators

MJ Castillo, Granada.

A Marcos, Madrid.

S Zamora, Murcia.

M García Fuentes, Santander.

M Bueno, Zaragoza, Spain.

G ranada: MJ Castillo, MD Cano, R Sola (Biochemistry); A Gutiérrez, JL Mesa, J Ruiz (Physical fitness); M Delgado, P Tercedor, P Chillón (Physical activity), M Martín, F Carreño, F Ortega, GV Rodríguez, R Castillo, F Arellano (Collaborators). Universidad de Granada. E-18071 Granada.

M adrid: A Marcos, M González-Gross, J Wärnberg, S Medina, F Sánchez Muniz, E Nova, A Montero, B de la Rosa, S Gómez, S Samartín, J Romeo, R Álvarez, (Coordination, immunology) A Álvarez (Cytometric analysis) L Barrios (Statistical analysis) A Leyva, B Payá (Psychological assessment). L Martínez, E Ramos, R Ortiz, A Urzanqui. (Collaborators). Instituto de Nutrición y Bromatología. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). E-28040 Madrid.

M urcia: S Zamora, M Garaulet, F Pérez-Llamas, JC Baraza, JF Marín, F Pérez de Heredia, MA Fernández, C González, R García, C Torralba, E Donat, E Morales, MD García, JA Martínez, JJ Hernández, A Asensio, FJ Plaza, MJ López (Diet analysis). Dpto. Fisiología. Universidad de Murcia. E-30100 Murcia.

S antander: M García Fuentes, D González-Lamuño, P de Rufino, R Pérez-Prieto, D Fernández, T Amigo (Genetic study). Dpto. Pediatría. Universidad de Cantabria. E- 19003 Santander.

Z aragoza: M Bueno, LA Moreno, A Sarriá, J Fleta, G Rodríguez, CM Gil, MI Mesana, JA Casajús, Vicente Blay, María Guadalupe Blay. (Anthropometric assessment). Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Zaragoza. E-50009 Zaragoza.

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Moreno, L., Mesana, M., González-Gross, M. et al. Body fat distribution reference standards in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA Study. Int J Obes 31, 1798–1805 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803670

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