Applicability of body surface area and anthropometric indices to assess body size in adolescents living at high altitude

Introduction: Anthropometric indices are used to assess general health status, nutritional adequacy and physical growth pattern. Objective: To verify the ability to adequately estimate body size by body surface area (BS), body mass index (BMI) and tri-ponderal index (TPI) by chronological age (CE) and maturity status (MS) in adolescents living at high altitude in Peru. Methods: A descriptive (correlational) study was carried out in adolescents aged 10 to 14 years. A total of 3,088 schoolchildren were recruited. Weight, height, BF, BMI and ITP were evaluated and calculated by the Dobois and Dubois formula. Results: In both sexes the power of determination between CS with CE, MS, weight and height were high (males: r2=0.31 to 0.89% and females: r2=0.36 to 0.94%). In men, the relationships between BMI with CD, MS, and height were null (r2=0.01 to 0.05%), except with weight (r2=0.70%), whereas, in women, the relationships were low with CD, MS, and height (r2=0.11 to 0.24%), except for weight (r2=0.805). With ITP, the relationships with CD, MS and height were null in both sexes (men: r2=0.02 to 0.03% and women: r2=0.00 to 0.07%), except with weight, where it explains r2=0.33% in men and 0.48% in women. There were no differences when comparing males and females by CE (11, 12 and 13 years), except at 10 and 14 years. Conclusion: It was verified that CS was significantly correlated with CD, MS, weight and height in relation to BMI and PI. These results suggest that CS could be a better indicator to assess and monitor body size in adolescents living at high altitude.