Identification of Risk Factors through Anthropometric Assessment in Institutionalized Adolescents: Beyond BMI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk26110Keywords:
ISAK, BMI, Anthropometry, AdolescentsAbstract
Introduction: Malnutrition during adolescence poses a public health challenge, manifesting as underweight, excess body fat, and alterations in muscle mass indicators that are not identifiable using the Body Mass Index (BMI). It is necessary to incorporate more comprehensive indicators to enable a more precise detection of cardiovascular risk, obesity, and malnutrition. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 53 adolescents (23 males and 30 females) aged 11 to 17, residing in a social welfare institution in Nuevo León, Mexico. The ISAK protocol was employed. Indicators such as BMI, fat mass index, estimated muscle mass, and the waist-to-hip ratio were calculated. Data were analyzed using the ISAK Metry software. Results: Most of the adolescents were classified as having normal weight according to BMI; however, 28.3% were identified as being at cardiometabolic risk based on waist and hip circumference measurements. Nineteen adolescents were identified as having extreme values regarding muscle mass and/or body fat levels, and 12 normal-weight adolescents were found to have alterations in muscle mass and/or body fat indicators. Significant correlations were observed among skinfolds, BMI, circumferences, and body weight (p < 0.05). Conclusion: More comprehensive assessment profiles succeed in identifying higher risks among adolescents; therefore, standardized measurements conducted according to the ISAK protocol in vulnerable populations—facilitate timely diagnosis.
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Articles published in the International Journal of Kinanthropometry are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the source.
