BMI may underestimate the socioeconomic gradient in true obesity. Issue 3 (3rd January 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van den, G.; van, M.; Vrijkotte, T. G. M.; Gemke, R. J. B. J.
• Is Part Of: Pediatric obesity. Volume 8:Issue 3(2013:Jun.)
• Page Start: e37
• Page End: e40
• Publication Date: 2013-01-03
• Subjects: Obesity in children -- Periodicals; Obesity in adolescence -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; Overweight children -- Periodicals; 618.92398
• DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00133.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-7174

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="ijpo133-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Body mass index (BMI) does not make a distinction between fat mass and lean mass. In children, high fat mass appears to be associated with low maternal education, as well as low lean mass because maternal education is associated with physical activity. Therefore, BMI might underestimate true obesity in children of low‐educated mothers.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo133-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To investigate the associations of maternal education with fat mass index (FMI), lean mass index (LMI) and BMI.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo133-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>In total, 1965 Dutch children from a prospective cohort, aged 5.7 years (standard deviation 0.5), had available data on body composition based on bioelectrical impedance analysis.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo133-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Maternal education was not associated with BMI after adjustment for confounders. In contrast, children of low‐educated mothers had a higher FMI (β 0.28 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07; 0.49) and a lower LMI (β −0.18 95% CI −0.33; −0.03) compared with children of high‐educated mothers.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo133-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>This suggests that BMI underestimates the educational gradient of childhood obesity.</p> </sec> </abstract>