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Publication
Composição corporal em crianças: metodologias de avaliação
| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC_29804 | 6.24 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A composição corporal define-se como sendo a proporção entre os diferentes componentes
corporais e a massa corporal total e permite caracterizar a saúde de um individuo já que, pela
variedade de métodos possíveis de avaliação, a torna um importante indicador do estado
nutricional. Quando, através da avaliação da composição corporal, se verifica uma elevada
proporção de massa gorda, é possível diagnosticar excesso de peso e/ou obesidade.
A obesidade é uma doença crónica cada vez mais prevalente, não só em Portugal, mas
mundialmente, que afeta todas as idades, sendo importante identifica-la e trata-la o mais
precocemente possível. A infância é um período da vida onde há maior susceptibilidade de
desenvolver obesidade e criar hábitos que se repercutirão na vida adulta. Assim, várias
estratégias são propostas e atualizadas periodicamente para identificar e combater a Obesidade
Infantil. A avaliação da composição corporal é o primeiro passo para que esta doença seja
identificada, permitindo que sejam desenvolvidas intervenções adequadas a cada população.
Com esta revisão pretende-se identificar as várias técnicas de avaliação da composição corporal
e compreender quais as mais adequadas a utilizar em crianças.
Para a elaboração desta revisão foi realizada uma pesquisa na base de dados PubMed®,
utilizando palavras-chave como “body composition assessment in children”, “body mass index”,
“obesity assessment”, e complementada por uma pesquisa em snowball, sempre que pertinente.
Incluíram-se estudos longitudinais (observacionais ou experimentais) que abordassem as várias
técnicas, revisões de literatura, relatórios de entidades creditadas e livros, culminando num total
de 40 documentos utilizados na presente revisão. O critério de inclusão comum a todas as
pesquisas foi serem artigos ou livros de livre acesso.
Os métodos de avaliação da composição corporal a aplicar em crianças devem ser escolhidos
após avaliação dos objetivos do estudo, da idade, da etnia, da cultura, do país, entre outros
fatores, pois cada método tem as suas vantagens e limitações inerentes. Em suma, não há
consenso de qual o melhor método a utilizar em crianças, pois cada um avalia especificamente
um parâmetro diferente. Preferencialmente devem ser métodos pouco ou nada invasivos, que
demorem pouco tempo a ser aplicados e que necessitem de pouca colaboração do avaliado. Os
métodos antropométricos são os mais utilizados em contexto clínico e estudos de base
populacional de larga escala – que permitem o cálculo do índice de massa corporal, que em
crianças deve ser padronizado por sexo e idade, o índice perímetro da cintura-estatura ou a
bioimpedância elétrica – por serem métodos simples, rápidos, baratos e de fácil interpretação;
em contexto de investigação os métodos mais utilizados parecem ser o DEXA e a
pletismografia, métodos bastante precisos mas que têm custos elevados e aplicabilidade
limitada.
Body composition is defined as a proportion between the different body compartments and the total body mass. It allows to characterize the individual’s health status, since many methods and technics allows us to measure de different body compartments, and thus can be used as a nutritional status indicator. When there is a large proportion of body fat, identified by the body composition assessment methods, overweight or obesity can be diagnosed. Obesity is a chronic disease with a high prevalence, not only in Portugal, but worldwide, affecting all ages, and should be urgently identified and treated as early as possible in order to be reverted. Infancy and childhood is a period of the life where there is a high probability to develop obesity and to create habits that will track across life. Several strategies are proposed and periodically updated to identify and to fight against childhood obesity. The body composition assessment is the first step to identify this disease, allowing appropriate interventions to be developed, adapted to each population. The aim of this review is to identify the several methods of body composition assessment and to understand which are the most appropriate to use in children. For the conduction of this review, a literature search was performed in the PubMed® database, using as mesh-terms "body composition assessment in children", "body index mass", "obesity assessment", and complemented by a snowball search, whenever appropriate. Longitudinal studies (observational and experimental), literature reviews, reports of qualified entities and books were included, totaling 40 documents used. The inclusion criterion common to all the searches were be free access. The body composition assessment methods to apply in children should be chosen after the evaluation of the study aims, age, ethnicity, culture, country, among other factors. Each method has its own advantages and inherent limitations. In short, there is no consensus of which is the best method to use in children, because each one specifically evaluates a different parameter. Preferentially they should be non-invasive methods, with short durations and requiring little cooperation. The anthropometric methods are the most used at clinical context and in large population-based studies – allowing the calculation of the body mass index that in children should be standardized for sex and age, the waist-to-height index or electric bioimpedance – since these methods are simple, fast, cheap and of easy interpretation; in applied research context, the methods frequently used seem to be DEXA and the pletismography, that are precise, but have high costs and limited applicability.
Body composition is defined as a proportion between the different body compartments and the total body mass. It allows to characterize the individual’s health status, since many methods and technics allows us to measure de different body compartments, and thus can be used as a nutritional status indicator. When there is a large proportion of body fat, identified by the body composition assessment methods, overweight or obesity can be diagnosed. Obesity is a chronic disease with a high prevalence, not only in Portugal, but worldwide, affecting all ages, and should be urgently identified and treated as early as possible in order to be reverted. Infancy and childhood is a period of the life where there is a high probability to develop obesity and to create habits that will track across life. Several strategies are proposed and periodically updated to identify and to fight against childhood obesity. The body composition assessment is the first step to identify this disease, allowing appropriate interventions to be developed, adapted to each population. The aim of this review is to identify the several methods of body composition assessment and to understand which are the most appropriate to use in children. For the conduction of this review, a literature search was performed in the PubMed® database, using as mesh-terms "body composition assessment in children", "body index mass", "obesity assessment", and complemented by a snowball search, whenever appropriate. Longitudinal studies (observational and experimental), literature reviews, reports of qualified entities and books were included, totaling 40 documents used. The inclusion criterion common to all the searches were be free access. The body composition assessment methods to apply in children should be chosen after the evaluation of the study aims, age, ethnicity, culture, country, among other factors. Each method has its own advantages and inherent limitations. In short, there is no consensus of which is the best method to use in children, because each one specifically evaluates a different parameter. Preferentially they should be non-invasive methods, with short durations and requiring little cooperation. The anthropometric methods are the most used at clinical context and in large population-based studies – allowing the calculation of the body mass index that in children should be standardized for sex and age, the waist-to-height index or electric bioimpedance – since these methods are simple, fast, cheap and of easy interpretation; in applied research context, the methods frequently used seem to be DEXA and the pletismography, that are precise, but have high costs and limited applicability.
Description
Trabalho Complementar apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de licenciada em Ciências da Nutrição
Keywords
Crianças Composição corporal Compartimentos corporais Tamanho corporal Distribuição da gordura corporal Antropometria Obesidade infantil Children Body composition Body compartments Body size Body fat distribution Anthropometrics Childhood obesity