OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficiency of different anthropometric equations that identify excess body fat in children and adolescents. METHODS: The sample consisted of 1,498 subjects (678 males and 820 females), aged 7 to 17 years (13.7 SD=2.0), from Presidente Prudente (SP). Body weight and height were measured to calculate body mass index. Waist circumference and triceps, abdominal, and thigh skinfold thicknesses were also measured. The percentage of body fat was estimated by four anthropometric equations: Slaughter et al., Slaughter II et al., Dezenberg et al., and Deurenberg et al.. The Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve was used to indicate the efficiency of these equations. RESULTS: High sensitivity values (82.4% to 100,0%) and high and low specificity scores (20.9% to 94.9%) were observed in males. In females, the sensitivity values ranged from moderate to high (72.2% to 99.4%) and the specificity scores were high (21.6% to 98.2%). CONCLUSION: The Deurenberg et al., equation was the most accurate for identifying presence or absence of obesity in this sample.
Adolescent; Anthropometry; Child; Obesity
