Anthropometric Assessment of Abdominal Obesity and Health Risk in Children and Adolescents
Condition: Obesity
MeSH terms: Obesity; Obesity, Abdominal
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Childhood obesity is a major public health issue, and the identification of children who are
      at increased risk of health problems due to their obesity is a priority for modern health
      care. Abdominal fat is considered to be the most harmful in the body, and the development of
      reliable landmarks and procedures for the assessment of intra-abdominal visceral adipose
      tissue and total body fat in children will have a major impact on 1) the early identification
      of children at elevated health risk, 2) the proper prioritization of health care resources,
      and 3) the standardization of obesity surveillance procedures within and between countries.
    

Detailed description: 
      Abdominal fat, in particular intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue, is considered to be the
      most dyslipidemic and atherogenic fat depot in the human body. Intra-abdominal visceral
      adipose tissue and total body fat can be measured precisely and reliably in a laboratory
      setting using advanced imaging techniques; however, reliable clinical measurements of
      pediatric intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue and total body fat are yet to be developed.
      Thus, the specific aims of this study are to 1) identify reliable landmarks and methodology
      for the measurement of pediatric waist circumference that are associated with intra-abdominal
      visceral adipose tissue and total body fat across the pediatric age, total body adiposity,
      and maturity range among African American and Caucasian children and adolescents, 2)
      determine if waist circumference in combination with other anthropometric indices is a better
      predictor of intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue and total body fat than waist
      circumference alone across the pediatric age, total body adiposity, and maturation range, and
      3) develop and determine the clinical utility of pediatric race-sex-specific waist
      circumference thresholds for the identification of elevated chronic disease risk factors
      across the pediatric age, total body adiposity, and maturation range. The investigators will
      accomplish these aims by conducting a cross-sectional study of 100 African American boys, 100
      Caucasian boys, 100 African American girls, and 100 Caucasian girls 5 to 18 years of age.
      Waist circumference will be measured at the four common anatomic sites used in pediatric
      research: 1) superior border of the iliac crest, 2) midpoint between the iliac crest and the
      lowest rib, 3) umbilicus, and 4) minimal waist. Additional body dimensions will be obtained
      in order to determine the clinical utility of combining waist circumference with other
      measurements in predicting intra-abdominal visceral adipose tissue and total body fat, which
      will be assessed using advanced imaging techniques. The identification of the most
      appropriate waist circumference landmarks and measurement techniques is important for the
      clinical identification of children at elevated obesity-related health risk and for the
      standardization of obesity surveillance strategies within and between countries.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Community sample from the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, metropolitan region
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Serum
    
Keywords: Waist circumference; Visceral adipose tissue; Intra-abdominal fat; Pediatrics