Prevalence of pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes among adolescents (10–19 years) and its association with different measures of overweight/obesity in India: a gendered perspective

Background The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimated that 1.1 million children and adolescents aged 14–19 years are living with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose. It is also recognized as a complex disease that affects people of different ages due to different causes. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of pre-diabetes/diabetes at the national level. Additionally, the respective study determines the factors associated with pre-diabetes/diabetes conditions among adolescents at the national level. Methods The data for this study was carried out from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS), the first-ever nationally representative nutrition survey of children and adolescents in India. The study used a sample size of 17,865 adolescent boys and 17,965 adolescent girls for the analysis. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression analysis were done to carve out the results. Results The prevalence of pre-diabetes/diabetes was 12.3% and 8.4% among adolescent boys and girls in India, respectively. Body mass index and Subscapular skinfold thickness were the two most important predictors of pre-diabetes/diabetes among adolescents. Further, physical activities show a negative association with pre-diabetes/diabetes. Moreover, interaction models in the present study clearly reveal the fact that adolescent girls were less likely to suffer from pre-diabetes/diabetes than adolescent boys. Additionally, it was found that the prevalence of pre-diabetes/diabetes was high among adolescent girls from lower socio-economic strata. Conclusion The high prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes among adolescents portrayed serious public health concern in India. As body mass index and Subscapular skinfold thickness were positively associated with pre-diabetes/diabetes conditions among adolescents. Therefore, effective approaches are needed to be taken to tackle these pre-diabetes/diabetes conditions among adolescents and especially among adolescent boys.

Gender Stratified Analyses of the Association of Skinfold Thickness with Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study in General Northeastern Chinese Residents

The association of hypertension with skinfold thickness (ST) in adults is not clear. Our study was aimed at finding out the association of hypertension with ST in different gender and obesity categories. This is a cross-sectional study based on 2336 Chinese residents (767 men). Both subscapular skinfold thickness (SST) and tricep skinfold thickness (TST) were examined. We estimated the association of hypertension with per SD increase of SST and TST using multivariable logistic regression analyses in men and women. Six subgroups were stratified using cutoff points of body mass index (BMI) and ST: larger and smaller ST in normal weight (BMI < 24 kg/m2), overweight (24 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2), respectively. The association of hypertension with ST was only shown in women after adjustment for other risk factors. Among women of the normal weight subgroup, higher prevalence of hypertension was shown in those with larger ST. No difference of the prevalence of hypertension was found between women with larger ST in the normal weight subgroup and those with smaller ST in overweight or obesity subgroups. Our study suggested that even for people with normal weight, it was necessary to monitor the subcutaneous fat using ST for preventing hypertension at least in general Chinese women.

Obesity parameters as predictors of early development of cardiometabolic risk factors

The scope of this study was to verify the association between different overweight and obesity parameters and the metabolic risk profile among school-age students. The randomized cross-sectional study included 1254 children and adolescents, aged 7 to 17, from a city in southern Brazil. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and percentage of fat (PF), measured at the triceps and based on subscapular skinfold thickness, were used as the parameters to evaluate overweight/obesity status. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density protein cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides were also measured. The metabolic risk profile was calculated based on the sum of the z score of the metabolic variables adjusted by age. A three-model Poisson analysis was used to verify the association between BMI, WC and PF with metabolic risk profile. BMI showed the highest probability for developing metabolic risk compared with WC (overweight - PR: 1.63 and obesity – PR: 3.87) and PF (overweight – PR: 1.62 and obesity – PR: 2.92). In conclusion, BMI seems to be a better parameter of overweight/obesity than WC and PF in the assessment of metabolic risk among youths.

Caucasian children's fat mass: routine anthropometry v. air-displacement plethysmography

The present paper will use fat mass percentage (FM%) obtained via BOD POD® air-displacement plethysmography (FMADP%) to examine the relative validity of (1) anthropometric measurements/indices and (2) of FM% assessed with equations (FMeq%) based on skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance (BIA). In 480 Belgian children (aged 5–11 years) weight, height, skinfold thickness (triceps and subscapular), body circumferences (mid-upper arm, waist and hip), foot-to-foot BIA (Tanita®) and FMADP% were measured. Anthropometric measurements and calculated indices were compared with FMADP%. Next, published equations were used to calculate FMeq% using impedance (equations of Tanita®, Tyrrell, Shaefer and Deurenberg) or skinfold thickness (equations of Slaughter, Goran, Dezenberg and Deurenberg). Both indices and equations performed better in girls than in boys. For both sexes, the sum of skinfold thicknesses resulted in the highest correlation with FMADP%, followed by triceps skinfold, arm fat area and subscapular skinfold. In general, comparing FMeq% with FMADP% indicated mostly an age and sex effect, and an increasing underestimation but less dispersion with increasing FM%. The Tanita® impedance equation and the Deurenberg skinfold equation performed the best, although none of the used equations were interchangeable with FMADP%. In conclusion, the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness is recommended as marker of FM% in the absence of specialised technologies. Nevertheless, the higher workload, cost and survey management of an immobile device like the BOD POD® remains justified.