Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 62 No. 1, 2018.
Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2018.1
Comparison of body mass index percentiles for schoolchildren in Croatia with international reference values
Vesna Jureša
; Škola narodnog zdravlja A. Štmpar
Vera Musil
Mirjana Kujundžić Tiljak
Marjeta Majer
Abstract
The aim was to determine body mass index (BMI) percentiles in Croatian children aged 6.5-18.5 years and to compare them with the
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC 2000) and World Health Organisation (WHO 2007) BMI reference
values in order to show the pattern of diff erences. A representative cross-sectional national survey with standardized body height
and weight measurements included 12,389 schoolchildren (6372 boys and 6017 girls) aged 6.5-18.5 years (response rate 94.5%). BMI
percentile curves were established using the Lambda-Mu-Sigma method. BMI percentiles of the Croatian schoolchildren diff ered
from analogical percentiles in two international reference populations. The 5th percentile in boys and girls was similar to both reference
populations until the age of about 13 years, and in the age onwards it showed an upward shift. The 50th, 85th and 95th percentiles
in boys showed an upward shift in boys in all ages observed; in girls, an upward shift was observed until the age of about 14
years and downward shift in the age onwards. The diff erences observed between BMI percentiles of Croatian schoolchildren and
USCDC 2000 and WHO 2007 references imply that BMI percentiles developed on a nationally representative sample would be more
appropriate for assessment of nutritional status at the national level, whereas international standards could be used for comparison
of nutritional status among diff erent populations.
Keywords
body mass index; percentiles; reference values; children; adolescents
Hrčak ID:
201181
URI
Publication date:
30.3.2018.
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