Assessing prevalence of overweight and obesity through self-reports of height and weight by high school students in Taipei, Taiwan

Gender, body mass index, and PPARγ polymorphism are good indicators in hyperuricemia prediction for Han Chinese

Hyperuricemia is closely associated with obesity and metabolic abnormalities, which is also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The PPARγ gene, which is linked to obesity and metabolic abnormalities in Han Chinese, might be considered a top candidate gene that is involved in hyperuricemia. This study recruited 457 participants, aged 20-40 years old, to investigate the associations of the PPARγ gene and metabolic parameters with hyperuricemia. Three tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2292101, rs4684846, and rs1822825, of the PPARγ gene were selected to explore their association with hyperuricemia. Risk genotypes on rs1822825 of the PPARγ gene exhibited statistical significance with hyperuricemia (odds ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-3.57). Although gender, body mass index (BMI), serum total cholesterol concentration, or protein intake per day were statistically associated with hyperuricemia, the combination of BMI, gender, and rs1822825, rather than that of age, serum lipid profile, blood pressure, and protein intake per day, satisfied the predictability for hyperuricemia (sensitivity: 69.3%; specificity: 83.7%) in Taiwan-born obese Han Chinese. BMI, gender, and the rs1822825 polymorphism in the PPARγ gene appeared good biomarkers in hyperuricemia; therefore, these powerful indicators may be included in the prediction of hyperuricemia to increase the accuracy of the analysis.

Validity of self-reported weight and stature in adolescents from Cuiabá, Central-Western Brazil

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the agreement between self-reported and measured weight and stature in adolescents. METHODS: Ninety-seven students from public and private high schools of Cuiabá, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil (14 to 19 years old), were examined to assess the validity of self-reported weight and stature. The adolescents reported their weight and stature, which were subsequently measured by standard procedures. The body mass index was calculated from both self-reported and measured data. Weight status was classified according to body mass index Z-score and World Health Organization criteria. The differences between the self-reported and measured means were tested by the Student's paired t-test. Weighted Kappa's coefficient of agreement was used to assess the variations in weight status categorization using informed and measured data. Agreement between measurements was assessed by the Bland-Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The means of self-reported and measured weights (p=0.30), statures (p=0.76) and body mass index (p=0.47) were not significantly different. There was high agreement between self-reported and measured measurements according to intraclass correlation coefficient (weight: r=0.99; stature: r=0.96; body mass index: r=0.97) and the mean agreements estimated by the Bland-Altman method were 99% for weight and 100% for stature. CONCLUSION: Given the excellent agreement with measured data, self-reported weight and stature are considered valid to be used in epidemiological studies on adolescents of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Focused life history data and linear enamel hypoplasia to help explain intergenerational variation in relative leg length within Taiwanese families

This study first examines the hypothesis that significant intergeneration increases in stature within 85 Taiwanese families in two study locations were primarily the result of increases in subischial leg length. It then evaluates a second hypothesis that independent assessments of the extent of intergenerational change in childhood environments within these families helped account for parent-offspring differences in relative leg length. Childhood environments were assessed using two criteria: developmental environment scores derived from life history data and evidence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). Relative leg length was represented in two ways, as either the difference between internally estimated sex-specific z-scores of sitting height and subischial leg length (z(D) = z(SH) - z(LL)) or as relative sitting height (RSH; sitting height/height x 100). Paired Student t tests indicated intergenerational increases in relative leg length were significantly greater than zero in both study locations (P < or = 0.012). The second hypothesis, tested using a hierarchical model with maximum likelihood estimation that allowed for nesting of more than one offspring per family, received support as midparent-offspring differences in composite scores were significantly positively associated with midparent-offspring differences in relative leg length. This was true alone (P = 0.018), and when significant associations with LEH prevalence among mothers and offspring were statistically controlled for (P = 0.010). Evidence also indicated that while the large majority of offspring were taller than their midparental average height (84.3%; 91/108), offspring who were taller were also more likely to have relatively longer legs than by chance alone (Fishers exact, P = 0.027).

The association of self-esteem, depression and body satisfaction with obesity among Turkish adolescents

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to examine the effects of actual weight status, perceived weight status and body satisfaction on self-esteem and depression in a high school population in Turkey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 2101 tenth-grade Turkish adolescents aged 15-18 was conducted. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using weight and height measures. The overweight and obesity were based on the age- and gender-specific BMI cut-off points of the International Obesity Task Force values. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and depression was measured using Children's Depression Inventory. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships among the variables.

RESULTS

Based on BMI cut-off points, 9.0% of the students were overweight and 1.1% were obese. Logistic regression analysis indicated that (1) being male and being from a higher socio-economical level were important in the prediction of overweight based on BMI; (2) being female and being from a higher socio-economical level were important in the prediction of perceived overweight; (3) being female was important in the prediction of body dissatisfaction; (4) body dissatisfaction was related to low self-esteem and depression, perceived overweight was related only to low self-esteem but actual overweight was not related to low self-esteem and depression in adolescents.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that school-based adolescents in urban Turkey have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than adolescents in developed countries. The findings of this study suggest that psychological well-being of adolescents is more related to body satisfaction than actual and perceived weight status is.

Validade das medidas auto-referidas de peso e estatura para o diagnóstico do estado nutricional de adolescentes

OBJETIVOS: analisar a validade das medidas auto-referidas de peso e estatura para o diagnóstico do estado nutricional de adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Fizeram parte do estudo 867 adolescentes (433 rapazes e 434 moças), do município de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, com idades entre 15 e 18 anos (16,2 1,08). Inicialmente, os adolescentes referiram o peso e a estatura; na seqüência, as respectivas medidas foram aferidas pelos pesquisadores. Determinou-se o índice de massa corporal (IMC) com base nas medidas referidas e aferidas. RESULTADOS: ao referirem suas medidas antropométricas, em média, os adolescentes subestimaram o peso em 0,5 kg, superestimaram a estatura em 0,42 cm, e o IMC baseado nessas medidas foi subestimado em 0,3 kg/m². As medidas auto-referidas apresentaram concordância elevada com as medidas aferidas (coeficiente de correlação intraclasse - CCIC = 0,91 a 0,96). Os índices de validade relativa do IMC, determinado a partir das medidas referidas, oscilaram entre 60% e 79,1% para sensibilidade, 98,4% a 99,2% para especificidade, 89,8% e 90% para o valor preditivo positivo. A prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade foi subestimada em 2,6% quando determinada a partir das medidas referidas (p = 0,18). CONCLUSÕES: as medidas auto-referidas de peso e estatura representam medidas válidas como forma de aproximação aos valores mensurados, podendo ser utilizadas na avaliação do estado nutricional de adolescentes a partir do IMC, em estudos epidemiológicos.