Abstract: Background & aims: The main objectives of weight loss interventions in children and adolescents are to
decrease fat mass while maintaining fat-free mass. Several methods are available to assess childhood and
adolescence obesity, such as weight and height, bioelectrical impedance, skin-fold thickness measurements
and other laboratory methods. The aim was to assess simple anthropometric indices as predictors
of body-fat changes, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements as reference method.
Methods: Multi-intervention approach (diet, physical activity and psychological support in a familygroup-
based treatment) was implemented with a one-year follow-up in 13-to-16-year-old overweight
or obese Spanish adolescents. A total of 83 adolescents were recruited from Granada and Zaragoza, males
(n ¼ 43) (31.6 kg/m2) and females (n ¼ 40) (32.0 kg/m2). We measured body composition with
anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. All measurements were made at baseline, and
after 2 and 13 months. Random coefficient regression model was used to calculate the proportion of body
composition changes during follow-up that would be explained by simple body composition indices
based on anthropometric measures.
Results: After controlling for age and Tanner stage, body mass index explained 76.5% of body composition
changes in males and 90.1% in females, while fat mass index (assessed by skin-folds) explained 78.9% of
body composition changes in males and 84.0% of body composition changes in females.
Conclusions: In conclusion, we found that BMI was a good indicator of body fat composition changes in
children and adolescents, although FMI assessed by anthropometry was also a good indicator.
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