Cross-sectional study of characteristics of body composition of 24,845 children and adolescents aged 3-17 years in Suzhou

• Published in: BMC pediatrics 2023-07, Vol.23 (1), p.358-358, Article 358
• Main Authors: Zhao, Yan, Gong, Jin-Xin, Ji, Yi-Ting, Zhao, Xiao-Yun, He, Lu, Cai, Shi-Zhong, Yan, Xiang-Ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; Adolescent; Age groups; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Care and treatment; Child; Children; Children & youth; China; Complications and side effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electrodes; Fat mass; Fat-free mass; Female; Girls; Health aspects; Humans; Male; Metabolic disorders; Musculoskeletal system; Nutritional status; Obesity; Pediatrics; Proteins; Puberty; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1471-2431; 1471-2431
• DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04134-7

We aimed to analyze the characteristics of the body composition of children and adolescents aged 3-17 in Suzhou, China. A cross-sectional study between January 2020 and June 2022 using bioelectrical impedance was conducted to determine the fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass, and protein and mineral contents of 24,845 children aged 3-17 who attended the Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, China. Measurement data was presented in tables as mean ± SD, and groups were compared using the independent samples t-test. FM and fat-free mass increased with age in both boys and girls. The fat-free mass of girls aged 14-15 decreased after reaching a peak, and that of boys in the same age group was higher than that of the girls (p