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March 1991, Vol 145, No. 3 >
Article | March 1991

Standardized Percentile Curves of Body-Mass Index for Children and Adolescents FREE

Lawrence D. Hammer, MD; Helena C. Kraemer, PhD; Darrell M. Wilson, MD; Philip L. Ritter, PhD; Sanford M. Dornbusch, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication October 29, 1990.

Reprint requests to Children's Hospital at Stanford, 520 Sand Hill Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304 (Dr Hammer).


Am J Dis Child. 1991;145(3):259-263. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1991.02160030027015.
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Article
References
Comments

• Weight-for-height indexes are often used in the clinical assessment of obesity in children and adolescents. The direct measurement of adiposity, using hydrostatic weighing and other techniques, is not feasible in studies involving young children or with large numbers of older subjects. Ratios of weight relative to height, such as the body-mass index (weight/height2), may be used as indirect measures of obesity and correlate with more direct measures of adiposity. Using data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, 1971 to 1974, standardized percentile curves of body-mass index for white children and adolescents were developed. These curves may be used to monitor the body-mass index of white children and adolescents longitudinally and for comparing an individual with others of the same sex and age.

(AJDC. 1991;145:259-263)

REFERENCES

1 +
Brownell KD.  Obesity: understanding and treating a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder . J Consult Clin Psychol. 1982;;50:820-840.
2 +
Lauer RM, Clarke WR, Beaglehole R.  Level, trend, and variability of blood pressure during childhood: the Muscatine Study . Circulation . 1984;;69:242-249.
3 +
Drash A.  Relationship between diabetes mellitus and obesity in the child . Metabolism . 1973;;22:337-344.
4 +
Lohman TG.  Research progress in validation of laboratory methods of assessing body composition . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:596-603.
5 +
Seltzer CC, Mayer J.  A simple criterion of obesity . Postgrad Med. 1965;;38:A101-A107.
6 +
Wormersley J, Durnin JVGA.  An experimental study on variability of measurements of skinfold thickness on young adults . Hum Biol . 1973;;45:281-292.
7 +
Brook CGD.  Determination of body composition of children from skinfold measurements . Arch Dis Child. 1971;;46:182-184.
8 +
Billewicz WZ, Kemsley FF, Thomson AM.  Indices of adiposity . Br J Prev Soc Med. 1962;;16:183-188.
9 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Sempe M, Guilloud-Bataille M, Patois E, Pequignot-Guggenbuhl F, Fautrad V.  Adiposity indices in children . Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;;36:178-184.
10 +
Fomon SJ, Rogers RR, Ziegler EE, Nelson SE, Thomas LN.  Indices of fatness and serum cholesterol at age eight years in relation to feeding and growth during early infancy . Pediatr Res. 1982;;18:1233-1238.
11 +
Garn SM, Clark DC.  Nutrition, growth, development, and maturation: findings from the 10-state nutrition survey of 1968-1970 . Pediatrics . 1975;;56:306-319.
12 +
National Center for Health Statistics.  Plan and operation of the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1971-73 . Vital Health Stat 1 . 1973;;No. (10a) and 10b.
13 +
Cronk CE, Roche AF.  Race- and sex-specific reference data for triceps and subscapular skinfolds and weight/stature2 . Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;;35:347-354.
14 +
SAS Institute. SAS User's Guide: Statistics . 2nd ed. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc; 1982;.
15 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Deheeger M, Bellisle F, Sempe M, Guilloud-Bataille M, Patois E.  Adiposity rebound in children: a simple indicator for predicting obesity . Am J Clin Nutr. 1984;;39:129-135.
16 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Bellisle F, Sempe M.  The prediction in boys and girls of the weight/height2 index and various skinfold measurements in adults: a two-decade followup study . Int J Obes . 1989;;13:305-311.
17 +
Michielutte R, Diseker R, Corbett WT, Schey HM, Ureda JR.  The relationship between weight-height indices and the triceps skinfold thickness measure among children age 5 to 12 . Am J Public Health . 1984;;74:604-606.
18 +
McClaren DS, Ajans ZA, Awdeh Z.  Composition of human adipose tissue, with special reference to site and age differences . Am J Clin Nutr. 1965;;17:171-176.
19 +
Edwards DAW.  Differences in the distribution of subcutaneous fat with sex and maturity . Clin Sci. 1951;;10:305-315
20 +
Garn SM.  Relative fat patterning: an individual characteristic . Hum Biol . 1955;;27:75-98.
21 +
Pollack ML, Jackson AS.  Research progress in validation of clinical methods of assessing body composition . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:606-613.
22 +
Lohman TG, Pollack ML, Slaughter MH, Brandon LJ, Bolieau RA.  Methodological factors and the prediction of body fat in female athletes . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:92-96.
23 +
Jung E, Kaufman JJM, Narins DC, Kaufman GE.  Skinfold measurements in children . Clin Pediatr. 1984;;23:25-28.
24 +
Burton BT, Foster WR, Hirsch J, Van Italie TB.  Health implications of obesity: an NIH consensus development conference . Int J Obes . 1985;;9:155-169.
25 +
Forbes GB, Woodruff CW, eds. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook . Elk Grove Village, Ill:American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition; 1985;:190-191.
26 +
Cameron N.  The methods of auxological anthropometry . In: Falkner F, Tanner JM, eds. Human Growth 2 . New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1978;:35-90.
27 +
Micozzi MS, Albanes D, Jones DY, Chumlea WC.  Correlations of body mass indices with weight, stature, and body composition in men and women in NHANES I and II . Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;;44:725-731.
28 +
Spyckerelle Y, Gueguen R, Guillemot M, Tosi E, Deschamps JP.  Adiposity indices and clinical opinion . Ann Hum Biol . 1988;;15:45-54.
29 +
Garn SM, Leonard WR, Hawthorne VM.  Three limitations of the body mass index . Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;;44:996-997.
30 +
Micozzi MS, Albanes D.  Three limitations of the body mass index . Am J Clin Nutr. 1987;;46:376-377.
31 +
Roche AF, Siervogel RM, Chumlea WC, Webb P.  Grading body fatness from limited anthropometric data . Am J Clin Nutr. 1981;;34:2831-2838.
32 +
Hamill PVV, Drizd TA, Johnson CL, Reed RB, Roche AF, Moore WM.  Physical growth: National Center for Health Statistics percentiles . Am J Clin Nutr. 1979;;32:607-629.
33 +
Cronk CE, Mukherjee D, Roche AF.  Changes in triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness during adolescence . Hum Biol . 1983;;55:707-721.
34 +
Rauh JL, Schumsky DA.  Lean and nonlean body mass estimates in urban school children . In: Cheek DB, ed. Human Growth . Philadelphia, Pa: Lea & Febiger; 1968;:242-252.
35 +
Haschke F.  Body composition of adolescent males, II: body composition of male reference adolescent . Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl . 1983;;307:13-23.

Figures

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

References

1 +
Brownell KD.  Obesity: understanding and treating a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder . J Consult Clin Psychol. 1982;;50:820-840.
2 +
Lauer RM, Clarke WR, Beaglehole R.  Level, trend, and variability of blood pressure during childhood: the Muscatine Study . Circulation . 1984;;69:242-249.
3 +
Drash A.  Relationship between diabetes mellitus and obesity in the child . Metabolism . 1973;;22:337-344.
4 +
Lohman TG.  Research progress in validation of laboratory methods of assessing body composition . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:596-603.
5 +
Seltzer CC, Mayer J.  A simple criterion of obesity . Postgrad Med. 1965;;38:A101-A107.
6 +
Wormersley J, Durnin JVGA.  An experimental study on variability of measurements of skinfold thickness on young adults . Hum Biol . 1973;;45:281-292.
7 +
Brook CGD.  Determination of body composition of children from skinfold measurements . Arch Dis Child. 1971;;46:182-184.
8 +
Billewicz WZ, Kemsley FF, Thomson AM.  Indices of adiposity . Br J Prev Soc Med. 1962;;16:183-188.
9 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Sempe M, Guilloud-Bataille M, Patois E, Pequignot-Guggenbuhl F, Fautrad V.  Adiposity indices in children . Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;;36:178-184.
10 +
Fomon SJ, Rogers RR, Ziegler EE, Nelson SE, Thomas LN.  Indices of fatness and serum cholesterol at age eight years in relation to feeding and growth during early infancy . Pediatr Res. 1982;;18:1233-1238.
11 +
Garn SM, Clark DC.  Nutrition, growth, development, and maturation: findings from the 10-state nutrition survey of 1968-1970 . Pediatrics . 1975;;56:306-319.
12 +
National Center for Health Statistics.  Plan and operation of the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1971-73 . Vital Health Stat 1 . 1973;;No. (10a) and 10b.
13 +
Cronk CE, Roche AF.  Race- and sex-specific reference data for triceps and subscapular skinfolds and weight/stature2 . Am J Clin Nutr. 1982;;35:347-354.
14 +
SAS Institute. SAS User's Guide: Statistics . 2nd ed. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc; 1982;.
15 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Deheeger M, Bellisle F, Sempe M, Guilloud-Bataille M, Patois E.  Adiposity rebound in children: a simple indicator for predicting obesity . Am J Clin Nutr. 1984;;39:129-135.
16 +
Rolland-Cachera MF, Bellisle F, Sempe M.  The prediction in boys and girls of the weight/height2 index and various skinfold measurements in adults: a two-decade followup study . Int J Obes . 1989;;13:305-311.
17 +
Michielutte R, Diseker R, Corbett WT, Schey HM, Ureda JR.  The relationship between weight-height indices and the triceps skinfold thickness measure among children age 5 to 12 . Am J Public Health . 1984;;74:604-606.
18 +
McClaren DS, Ajans ZA, Awdeh Z.  Composition of human adipose tissue, with special reference to site and age differences . Am J Clin Nutr. 1965;;17:171-176.
19 +
Edwards DAW.  Differences in the distribution of subcutaneous fat with sex and maturity . Clin Sci. 1951;;10:305-315
20 +
Garn SM.  Relative fat patterning: an individual characteristic . Hum Biol . 1955;;27:75-98.
21 +
Pollack ML, Jackson AS.  Research progress in validation of clinical methods of assessing body composition . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:606-613.
22 +
Lohman TG, Pollack ML, Slaughter MH, Brandon LJ, Bolieau RA.  Methodological factors and the prediction of body fat in female athletes . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1984;;16:92-96.
23 +
Jung E, Kaufman JJM, Narins DC, Kaufman GE.  Skinfold measurements in children . Clin Pediatr. 1984;;23:25-28.
24 +
Burton BT, Foster WR, Hirsch J, Van Italie TB.  Health implications of obesity: an NIH consensus development conference . Int J Obes . 1985;;9:155-169.
25 +
Forbes GB, Woodruff CW, eds. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook . Elk Grove Village, Ill:American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition; 1985;:190-191.
26 +
Cameron N.  The methods of auxological anthropometry . In: Falkner F, Tanner JM, eds. Human Growth 2 . New York, NY: Plenum Press; 1978;:35-90.
27 +
Micozzi MS, Albanes D, Jones DY, Chumlea WC.  Correlations of body mass indices with weight, stature, and body composition in men and women in NHANES I and II . Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;;44:725-731.
28 +
Spyckerelle Y, Gueguen R, Guillemot M, Tosi E, Deschamps JP.  Adiposity indices and clinical opinion . Ann Hum Biol . 1988;;15:45-54.
29 +
Garn SM, Leonard WR, Hawthorne VM.  Three limitations of the body mass index . Am J Clin Nutr. 1986;;44:996-997.
30 +
Micozzi MS, Albanes D.  Three limitations of the body mass index . Am J Clin Nutr. 1987;;46:376-377.
31 +
Roche AF, Siervogel RM, Chumlea WC, Webb P.  Grading body fatness from limited anthropometric data . Am J Clin Nutr. 1981;;34:2831-2838.
32 +
Hamill PVV, Drizd TA, Johnson CL, Reed RB, Roche AF, Moore WM.  Physical growth: National Center for Health Statistics percentiles . Am J Clin Nutr. 1979;;32:607-629.
33 +
Cronk CE, Mukherjee D, Roche AF.  Changes in triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness during adolescence . Hum Biol . 1983;;55:707-721.
34 +
Rauh JL, Schumsky DA.  Lean and nonlean body mass estimates in urban school children . In: Cheek DB, ed. Human Growth . Philadelphia, Pa: Lea & Febiger; 1968;:242-252.
35 +
Haschke F.  Body composition of adolescent males, II: body composition of male reference adolescent . Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl . 1983;;307:13-23.

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