[Fat distribution in children and adolescents of both sexes].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe anthropometric indexes of fat distribution in 6.0 to 14.9 year old children and to estimate the timing of differentiation of fat patterning in male and female children and adolescents.


METHODS
We have studied a sample of 1,360 children (701 boys and 659 girls) from Zaragoza, Spain. We have measured triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknessess and waist and hip circumferences. With these measurements, we have calculated the indexes of fat distribution including waist-to-hip circumference ratio and triceps-to-subscapular skinfold thickness ratio. We present the percentiles of these indexes.


RESULTS
All percentiles of the waist-to-hip ratio were higher in males than in females. Percentiles 5, 50 and 95 of the triceps-to-subscapular skinfold thickness ratio showed similar values in males and females, except that percentile 95 was higher in males than in females after 10.5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
The waist-to-hip ratio seems to define earlier the pattern of fat distribution in children than does the triceps-to-subscapular skinfold thickness ratio. If we take into account the waist-to-hip ratio, the pattern of fat distribution is already present in school age children.
Departamento de Pediatría, E.U. de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza.
L A
LA
Moreno Aznar
J
J
Fleta Zaragozano
L
L
Mur de Frenne
C
C
Feja Solana
G
G
Rodríguez Martínez
A
A
Sarría Chueca
M
M
Bueno Sánchez
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013030:Spain
Distribución de la grasa en niños y adolescentes de ambos sexos.