TY - JOUR TI - Short-term predictors of abdominal obesity in children AU - Psarra, G. AU - Nassis, G.P. AU - Sidossis, L.S. JO - Central European Journal of Public Health PY - 2006 VL - 16 TODO - 5 SP - 520-525 PB - SN - 1210-7778 TODO - 10.1093/eurpub/cki196 TODO - abdominal obesity; anthropometric parameters; article; body fat distribution; body mass; cardiopulmonary function; child; child health; female; follow up; gender; human; Khamis Roche method; logistic regression analysis; major clinical study; male; maturation; multiple regression; obesity; parent; priority journal; risk assessment; risk factor; waist circumference; waist hip ratio, Abdominal Fat; Body Fat Distribution; Body Mass Index; Child; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Obesity; Risk Factors; Waist-Hip Ratio TODO - Background: The aim of this study was to examine the short-term tracking of abdominal adiposity in children. Methods: A total of 918 children (477 boys) aged 6-12 years at baseline were followed-up for 2 years. Central obesity was assessed by waist circumference (WaistC), whereas body fat distribution by waist-to-hip ratio. Maturity was assessed by the Khamis-Roche method. Parental fatness and children's cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were also evaluated. Multiple and logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictors of BMI and WaistC. Results: Tracking of body fatness and body fat distribution was high (r = 0.69-0.86, P < 0.01). More boys remained obese than girls (P < 0.05), whereas a greater percentage of boys moved to a higher quartile of WaistC after the 2-year follow-up (22.0 vs 14.1%, P < 0.01). Sex, child's maturity and WaistC at baseline, CRF, and maternal BMI explained 76% of the variability in BMI and WaistC at the follow-up (n = 290). Children with high WaistC at baseline and low CRF presented 1.9- and 4.3-fold increased risk of remaining in the upper quartile of WaistC at the follow-up (P < 0.01; n = 552). Conclusion: Youth with increased WaistC at baseline and low CRF presented an increased chance of maintaining central obesity at the follow-up. More boys than girls moved into a higher quartile of abdominal obesity during the 2-year follow-up period and this should be taken into account in designing programmes for childhood obesity. © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved. ER -