Objectives: The aims of this study was to determine the cutoff values for tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) and investigate the association between overweight/obesity as classified by TMI and cardiometabolic risk factors in Brazilian adolescents aged 12 to 17 y.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study comprising 37 815 adolescents (40 % boys; 12-17 y) enrolled in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents. TMI was calculated as weight divided by cubed height (kg/m3). Overweight (TMI-for-age ≥85th percentile to <95th percentile) and obesity (TMI-for-age ≥95th percentile) were determined for both sexes. Poisson regression model analyses were used to test associations.
Results: TMI was stable across the age span (12-17 y) in both sexes. Boys and girls classified by TMI as obese had higher prevalence ratios (PR) for hypertension (PR, 4.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.26-7.61 for boys; PR, 6.88; 95% CI, 3.70-12.78 for girls), insulin resistance (PR, 19.72; 95% CI, 13.56-28.69 for boys; PR, 10.04; 95% CI, 7.47-13.50 for girls), hypercholesterolemia (PR,5.05; 95% CI, 3.68-6.94 for boys; PR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.00-2.11 for girls), and hypertriacylglycerolemia (PR,7.36; 95% CI, 5.16-10.50 for boys; PR, 3.37; 95% CI, 2.52-4.51 for girls) when compared with normal weight counterparts.
Conclusions: Obesity, as classified by TMI, was strongly associated with several cardiovascular risk factors. Our data showed that TMI was stable across the age span. Therefore, a fixed cutoff value to determine weight status in Brazilian adolescents seems appropriate.
Keywords: Adolescents; Cardiovascular risk; Obesity; Tri-ponderal mass index.
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