U. Jaeger

Perzentile für den Body-mass-Index für das Kindes- und Jugendalter unter Heranziehung verschiedener deutscher Stichproben

ZusammenfassungFragestellung. Sowohl die Childhood Group der International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) als auch die European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) empfehlen den Body-mass-Index als Beurteilungskriterium für Übergewicht und Adipositas bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Im Erwachsenenalter erfolgt die Definition von Übergewicht und Adipositas anhand fester Grenzwerte, bei der Beurteilung von Kindern und Jugendlichen müssen die alters- und geschlechtsspezifischen Veränderungen des BMI berücksichtigt werden. Methode. Unter Heranziehung von 17 bereits durchgeführten Untersuchungen aus verschiedenen Regionen Deutschlands wurden BMI-Perzentile für Kinder und Jugendliche erstellt. Die Berechnung der Perzentile basiert auf den Körperhöhen- und Körpergewichtsdaten von 17.147 Jungen und 17.275 Mädchen im Alter von 0–18 Jahren. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung. Die vorgestellten Perzentile sollten als Referenz für deutsche Kinder und Jugendliche angewendet werden. Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft “Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter” (AGA) hat in ihren Leitlinien die Anwendung der hier vorgestellten 90. und 97. Perzentile zur Definition von Übergewicht und Adipositas empfohlen.AbstractObjectives. Both the Childhood Group of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) recommend to use the body mass index (BMI = weight in kilograms/height in meter2) to evaluate overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Whereas it is customary with adults to use fixed cut off points to define overweight and obesity, in children and adolescents age and sex specific developmental changes in BMI need to be addressed, which are due to physiological alterations of fat mass. Method. Because a national reference population for children and adolescents does not exist in Germany, a BMI reference data set was compiled. Therefore measurements of height and weight from 17 different regional studies including 17147 boys and 17275 girls aged 0 to 18 years were used. Results and conclusions. We recommend the use of the presented percentiles as reference to asses under- and overweight (obesity) in German children and adolescents. In the guidelines of the “Arbeitsgruppe Adipo-sitas im Kindes- und Jugendalter” (AGA) the 90th and 97th BMI percentiles as calculated in this reference population are proposed as cut-off points for the definition of overweight and obesity in German children and adolescents.

Growth studies in Jena, Germany: Historical background and secular changes in stature and weight in children 7–14 years

Anthropological investigations have been performed on Jena school children since 1880. The report summarizes the background of the surveys and then considers secular changes in stature and body weight since 1880. The stature of Jena school children shows a major increase over 105 years, ranging from 9.7% to 12.8% in girls and from 9.4% to 14.6% in boys. Changes in estimated growth rates are evident, especially in the preschool ages. Corresponding secular increases in weight between 1880 and 1985 range from 20.7% to 50.4%. Data during and after times of war suggest that females appear to react to changing living conditions more quickly than boys. On the other hand, the smaller variation in the stature of girls suggests more homogeneous and perhaps better buffered growth in girls. Estimated semiannual increments in stature and weight between 1880 and 1985 indicate an increase in the intensity of growth during school age in both sexes and acceleration of the pubertal growth spurt, especially in boys. The average decrease in weight in both sexes between 1932 and 1944 should be emphasized. This is the result of the poor nutritional conditions during the Second World War. Girls show a greater reduction in mean values than boys.

Zunahme der Häufigkeit von Übergewicht und Adipositas bei Jenaer Kindern

ZusammenfassungFragestellung/Hintergrund: Es wurden Veränderungen des Body-mass-Index (BMI) bei Kindern in den letzten 20 Jahren untersucht und die Prävalenz von Übergewicht und Adipositas bestimmt. Methode und Probanden: Körperhöhe und Körpergewicht wurden im Rahmen anthropologischer Querschnittsuntersuchungen in den Jahren 1975, 1985 und 1995 bei 7- bis 14jährigen Jenaer Kindern erfaßt und daraus der Body-mass-Index berechnet. Die Einstufung der untersuchten Kinder als übergewichtig und adipös erfolgte anhand der von der European Childhood Obesity Group empfohlenen alters- und geschlechtsspezifischen 90. oder 97. Perzentile für den BMI von Rolland-Cachera et al. [31]. Ergebnisse: Zwischen 1975 und 1995 stieg der BMI der Jenaer Kinder an. Der prozentuale Anteil von Kindern, die als übergewichtig oder adipös einzustufen sind, nahm ebenfalls zu. Diese Veränderungen fielen zwischen 1985 und 1995 besonders deutlich aus. Schlußfolgerungen: Veränderte Lebensbedingungen, wie z. B. Änderungen beim Freizeitverhalten, beim Ernährungsverhalten oder in der Familienstruktur, die im Zusammenhang mit der politischen Wende im Jahr 1989 auftraten, werden als Ursache für diesen Trend angesehen.SummaryObjective: To examine changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) in children in the last twenty years and to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Design and Subjects: Body height and body weight were measured in Jena school children 7 to 14 years of age in cross-sectional anthropological investigations in 1975, 1985 and 1995 and from these measurements the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The investigated children were classified as overweight or obese by the age- and sex-specific 90th or 97th percentile values of BMI from Rolland-Cachera et al. [31] recommended by the European Childhood Obesity Group. Results: Between 1975 and 1995 the BMI of Jena children increased. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the children increased also. These changes were striking between 1985 and 1995. Conclusions: Changing living conditions, e. g. changes in the leisure-time lifestyle, in dietary practices and in the families, related to the unification of Germany in 1989, may be caused this trend.

Growth studies in Jena, Germany: Changes in body size and subcutaneous fat distribution between 1975 and 1995

This report presents results of an anthropological investigation on Jena, Germany, schoolchildren from 1995. Stature and weight, body mass index (BMI), and four skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) are presented for children 7–14 years of age and are compared with results of investigations on schoolchildren carried out in Jena in 1975 and 1985. Between those years, in both sexes there were no significant differences in stature, weight, and consequently in the BMI. In this timespan, a trend toward a reduction of subcutaneous fat was noted. A different development was observed in the period 1985–1995. Stature as well as body weight increased, and because the increase in weight was greater than expected from the increase in stature, there also was an increase in the BMI. A large increase in overall subcutaneous fatness was also found. In 1995, the highest amount of body fat was observed in Jena children since 1975. Changes in the distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue occurred. Between 1975 and 1985, the ratio of trunk to extremity skinfolds (T/E ratio) decreased significantly in boys and girls in all ages, but increased between 1985 and 1995. In spite of this increase, children had the largest T/E ratio in 1975. Changes in the nutritional situation and other factors in living conditions, possibly related to the unification of Germany in 1989 influencing somatic development, are considered. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:579–587, 1998.

Growth studies in Jena, Germany: Changes in sitting height, biacromial and bicristal breadth in the past decenniums.

Changes in sitting height, biacromial and bicristal breadths, and the acromio‐cristal index in school children from Jena between 7 and 14 years of age are described. Additionally, a secular comparison of these measurements and the index was done, based on the long series of surveys available for schoolchildren in Jena. During childhood, sex differences in the dimensions and the index are usually slight, but with the onset of the adolescent spurt sex differences are clear. Females become relatively broader‐hipped and shorter‐legged than males, with the differences especially marked in the acromio‐cristal index. Biacromial and bicristal breadths and sitting height increased, on average, between the first investigation in 1975 and the survey in 1995. In contrast, the acromio‐cristal index remained almost constant in boys and girls over the observed time, with few exceptions. When related to stature, both breadth measurements of the trunk have increased, whereas the ratio of sitting height to stature remained constant in most age groups between 1975 and 1995. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:646–654, 2000.

Growth studies in Jena, Germany: Changes in thoracic measurements between 1975 and 1995

This article presents the changes in three measurements of the thorax (chest depth, breadth, circumference) and in the chest index (chest depth / chest breadth) in 7–14‐year‐old school children from Jena between 1975 and 1995. Apart from the description of observed secular trends in body size (thorax measures) and form (index) of the thorax, age‐ and sex‐specific differences are described. Boys have, on average, higher values of chest depth and chest breadth. Up to the age of 10, boys have a larger chest circumference at first, afterwards this is true for girls. The thoracic measurements increase under the influence of the secular trend. Since the individual measure‐ ments do not change in the same way, the trends suggest changes in proportions. Both sexes show similar secular trends, but the secular changes do not occur continuously, only intermittently. The results show that such intermittent changes occurred between 1985 and 1995. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:784–792, 1999.