title: Body fat percentiles for German children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to define body fat percentiles for German children and adolescents aged 3-16 years using the largest German database.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 11,632 girls and 11,604 boys. Data were pooled from: i) Kiel Obesity Prevention Study (KOPS), acquisition period: 1996-2008, n = 12,237; ii) 'Better diet. More exercise. KINDERLEICHT-REGIONS', acquisition period: 2007, n = 9,405; and iii) examination of Jena schoolchildren, acquisition period: 2005, n = 1,594. Body fat mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis using a population-specific algorithm. Data were weighted to achieve a representative sample for Germany. Percentile curves were constructed by the LMS method and proved by Worm plots and Q-statistic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both genders, the higher body fat percentile curves sloped downwards to age 7 years, whereas the lower percentiles declined up to 8.5 years. Thereafter fat mass remained nearly constant with age in boys and increased in girls. The 10th percentile achieved a minimum of 10-11% body fat in both genders, whereas the 90th percentile curve fluctuated between 29 and 44% in boys or 30-43% in girls. The association between fat mass and blood pressure was too weak to define disease-related cut-offs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These body fat percentiles are suitable reference values for German children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, Christian-Albrechts University, Düsternbrooker Weg 17–19, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plachta-Danielzik
authors.forename: Marie Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gehrke
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kehden
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kromeyer-Hauschild
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grillenberger
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Willhöft
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosy-Westphal
authors.forename: Manfred J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D016008:Statistical Distributions