Percentiles and regional distribution of skinfold thickness among children and adolescents in Shandong, China

Objective Skinfold thicknesses (SFT) have long been considered important and valid measurements of subcutaneous fat. The present study reported the percentiles and regional distribution of SFT among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. Methods Data for this study were obtained from a large c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of human biology 2015-05, Vol.27 (3), p.417-420
Main Authors: Zhang, Ying-Xiu, Zhao, Jin-Shan, Chu, Zun-Hua
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Child
China
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Skinfold Thickness
Socioeconomic Factors
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective Skinfold thicknesses (SFT) have long been considered important and valid measurements of subcutaneous fat. The present study reported the percentiles and regional distribution of SFT among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. Methods Data for this study were obtained from a large cross‐sectional survey of schoolchildren. A total of 42,268 students (21,200 boys and 21,068 girls) aged 7–18 years from 16 districts participated in this study. Triceps, subscapular, and abdomen SFT of all subjects were measured. Results Shandong children and adolescents had a high SFT level and substantial regional disparities in SFT were observed. Boys and girls resident in high socioeconomic status (SES) districts had higher SFT level than those living in moderate and low SES districts. Conclusion The SFT level of children and adolescents is associated with regional SES in Shandong, China. This may be interpreted as a result of geographic variation between the districts in the process of urbanization, living standards, nutritional conditions, dietary patterns, and public health. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:417–420, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:1042-0533
1520-6300
DOI:10.1002/ajhb.22628