Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in insulin sensitivity and subsequent changes in fat mass in obese Hispanic children over 3 consecutive years.
Research design and methods: In a longitudinal research design, insulin sensitivity (S(i)) of 96 research participants was determined at baseline and 1 year later. Body adiposity was assessed at four assessments.
Results: The change in S(i) during the first year of the study was a significant predictor of further fat mass development (P < 0.05). Considering different directions of S(i) change, S(i) was a strong predictor for further fat mass development only in the group that decreased their S(i) (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The results show that the direction of change in insulin sensitivity at an early age is an important independent predictor for further fat mass development and emphasize the importance of insulin sensitivity as a primary target for long-term obesity prevention, as well as the significance of early age intervention.