Validity of Body Mass Index as a Measure of Adiposity in Infancy.
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To assess the validity of body mass index (BMI) and age- and sex-standardized BMI z-score (BMIZ) as surrogates for adiposity (body fat percentage [BF%], fat mass, and fat mass index [kg/m2]) at 3 time points in infancy (1, 4, and 7 months) and to assess the extent to which the change in BMIZ represents change in adiposity. STUDY DESIGN:We performed a secondary analysis of 447 full-term infants in a previous trial of maternal vitamin D supplementation during lactation. Study staff measured infant anthropometrics and assessed body composition with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at 1, 4, and 7 months of age. We calculated Spearman correlations (rs) among BMI, BMIZ, and adiposity at each time point, and between change in BMIZ and change in adiposity between time points. RESULTS:Infants (N?=?447) were 52% male, 38% white, 31% black, and 29% Hispanic. The BMIZ was moderately correlated with BF% (rs?=?0.43, 0.55, 0.48 at 1, 4, and 7 months of age, respectively). BMIZ correlated more strongly with fat mass and fat mass index, particularly at 4 and 7 months of age (fat mass rs?=?0.72-0.76; fat mass index rs?=?0.75-0.79). Changes in BMIZ were moderately correlated with adiposity changes from 1 to 4 months of age (rs?=?0.44 with BF% change; rs?=?0.53 with fat mass change), but only weakly correlated from 4 to 7 months of age (rs?=?0.21 with BF% change; rs?=?0.27 with fat mass change). CONCLUSIONS:BMIZ is moderately correlated with adiposity in infancy. Changes in BMIZ are a poor indicator of adiposity changes in later infancy. BMI and BMIZ are limited as surrogates for adiposity and especially adiposity changes in infancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00412074.
SUBMITTER: Bell KA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5924641 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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