title: Finger skin temperatures in 8- to 11-year-old children: determinants including physical characteristics and seasonal variation. The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The fingertip skin temperature (FST) reflects skin blood flow, and FST measurement has been suggested for the investigation of vascular responses. As a limitation, the multifactorial nature and the seasonal variation in measured values have been earlier described in adults but not in children. In the present study, we identify the modifiers of FST in a population sample of Finnish children.
  
  
  METHODS
  FST was measured in children (age range 8-11 years, n = 432) with infrared thermometer, and its possible determinants including the subjects' physical characteristics and seasonal variables, such as daylight time and outdoor temperature, were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In univariate regression models, FST was dependent on the sex, age and anthropometric characteristics of the children with the higher body fat content-related variables and a lower surface area-to-mass ratio as strongest single modifiers of FST. There was interaction between sex and puberty with FST. In addition, FST was directly related to daylight time and outdoor temperature although the children had stayed inside for at least 2 h before the measurements. The FST values were lowest in the winter and highest in the summer. In multivariate regression model, main determinants of FST were a higher body fat percentage (standardized regression coefficient β = 0.472; p < 0.001), male sex (β = 0.291; p < 0.001) and longer daylight time (0.226; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altogether, complex effects of body composition and sex with the confounding effect of seasonal variation may complicate the use of FST as a tool to study the vascular function in children.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. nina.zaproudina@uef.fi.|Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. nina.zaproudina@uef.fi.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaproudina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.|Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Närhi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Aapo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veijalainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lakka
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D012881:Skin Temperature
keywords: Body fat content; Children; Fingertip skin temperature; Seasonal variation; Skin blood flow