Anthropometric indicators as predictors of total body fat and cardiometabolic risk factors in Chilean children at 4, 7 and 10 years of age

BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVE: To compare the association between anthropometric indicators of global and central obesity as predictors of total body fat (TBF) and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: A total of 1044 children were evaluated at 4 years (n = 320), 7 years (n = 1044) and 10 years (n = 483). The following anthropometric indices were determined: body mass index (BMI) for age (BAZ, WHO), waist circumference (WC), waist- tohip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). To estimate TBF we used validated predictive equations. We measured blood sample concentrations of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and High-density lipoprotein (HDL), adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). RESULTS: Adiposity and cardiometabolic markers, particularly those related to glucose metabolism increased from 4 years to 10 years. BAZ and WC were highly correlated to body fat at all ages (all r>0.8) but at 10 years WC was more strongly correlated than BAZ (r = 0.94 WC vs r = 0.88 BAZ, P < 0.05); conversely, WHtR was significantly associated with body fat from 7 years (r = 0.85) and 10 years (r = 0.88). WHR was unrelated all over the period studied at all ages. Anthropometrical adiposity indicators became associated to cardiometabolic markers only from 7 years on with associations being slightly higher at 10 years, particularly for adiponectin and lipid markers. At all ages, BAZ, WC and WHtR performed similarly as cardiometabolic markers (P < 0.05) while WHR was a slightly weaker marker. CONCLUSIONS: Relationship between anthropometrical indicators of adiposity and cardiometabolic markers becomes stronger from 7 years onwards; BAZ, WC and WHtR perform similarly as markers of cardiometabolic risk at least until 10 years of age.