title: Abdominal fat assessment in adolescents using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abdominal obesity is an increasing problem in adolescents, often persisting into adulthood. Reliable assessment has been restricted to techniques limited by relatively high radiation doses or cost.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the reliability of several abdominal regions using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to assess the construct validity of these methods against metabolic profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inter- and intra-rater precision of two assessors were examined, for fat mass analysis in six different abdominal regions using DXA in overweight/obese and normal weight adolescents. Construct validity was examined in overweight/obese individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All methods had acceptable intra- and inter-rater reliability. Region 1 was most precise in overweight/obese individuals, while Region 6 was most precise in normal weight individuals. In all regions, assessments were less precise in overweight/obese individuals. All regions were equally predictive of insulin outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal adiposity can be reliably assessed in adolescents using DXA, and the most precisely assessed regions were identified. All regions predicted insulin outcomes.
authors: Exercise, Health & Performance Faculty Research Group, Faculty of Health Science, The University of Sydney, Australia. Tracey.Tsang@unsw.edu.au
authors: Tracey W
authors: TW
authors: Tsang
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Briody
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kohn
authors: Chin Moi
authors: CM
authors: Chow
authors: Maria Fiatarone
authors: MF
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods*; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D050177:Overweight / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012307:Risk Factors