title: Mild stunting is associated with higher body fat: study of a low-income population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test if individuals having height-for-age z scores between -2 and -1 present higher body fat percentage and, therefore, should not be categorized as having normal nutritional status.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 96 individuals (52 boys and 44 girls); 57% of whom had already attained puberty. Body composition was analyzed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of abdominal body fat in pre-pubertal stunted girls was higher (27.4%; p = 0.01) in comparison with their non-stunted counterparts (20.6%). Similar differences in abdominal fat content (%) were observed for pubertal stunted and non-stunted girls and boys (37.6 and 29.8%, respectively, p = 0.01; 24.6 and 15.7%, p = 0.01, respectively). The percentages of total body fat percent in pre-pubertal stunted girls and pubertal stunted boys (29.9 and 24.5%, p = 0.03; 26.3 and 18.1%, p = 0.01, respectively) were higher than those of their non-stunted counterparts. Non-stunted groups showed lower waist circumferences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents with mild stunting exhibit alterations in body composition indicating increased risk of metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu 862, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. ana.clemente@unifesp.br
authors.forename: Ana Paula Grotti
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Clemente
authors.forename: Carla Danusa da Luz
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Vinicius J B
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Ana Amélia
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Benedito-Silva
authors.forename: Maria Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Ana Lydia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sawaya
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult