Abstract
Objective:
To assess whether the indicators of weight status body mass index and waist-to-height ratio are similar to body fat percentage to identify obese children and adolescents with unfavorable lipid profile.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study involving 840 children and adolescents (6–18 years). The same individuals were classified as non-obese (<P95) or obese (≥P95) according to body fat percentage and indicators of weight status, body mass index, and waist-to-height ratio. Body fat percentage was obtained by multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance. Linear association between obesity and increased lipid fractions was tested by ANCOVA. Normal distribution curves of non-HDL cholesterol were designed for obese and non-obese. To provide the proportion of obese individuals with elevated non-HDL-c across all indicators, Z-score was calculated.
Results:
Obese boys presented higher non-HDL cholesterol when compared with those non-obese, classified by body mass index (107 ± 28 vs. 94 ± 25 mg/dL, p = 0.001), waist-to-height ratio (115 ± 29 vs. 94 ± 25 mg/dL, p < 0.001) and body fat percentage (119 ± 33 vs. 94 ± 24 mg/dL, p < 0.001). Differently, obese girls presented with higher non-HDL cholesterol when compared with those non-obese only according to the body fat percentage classification (118 ± 24 vs. 96 ± 26 mg/dL, p = 0.001). A large shift to the right in the distribution curve of non-HDL cholesterol among obese girls compared with non-obese was observed only when body fat percentage was used to discriminate between obese and non-obese.
Conclusion:
Body fat percentage was better than the indicators of weight status to identify children and adolescents with unfavorable lipid profile, mainly among girls.
KEYWORDS
Blood lipids; Obesity; Children and adolescents; Indicators of weight status; Body fat percentage