BMI APPLICABILITY OF TREFETHEN IN SCHOOL

Abstract

Introduction: Several anthropometric methods have been developed in order to evaluate the nutritional status of both adults as children and adolescents. Objective: To determine the applicability level of BMI proposed by Trefethen, compared to other indirect methods of assessing body composition. Methods: The sample consisted of 58 students (28 boys and 30 girls) from 10 to 14 years old, the city of São Bento do Sul-SC. To assess the nutritional status was assessed by body mass and height. Through these data we calculated the BMI used the formulas: BMI Quetelet= body mass/height2 and BMI Trefethen= body weight (kg)x1.3/ height (m)2.5. They were collected skinfolds triceps and ubscapularis to evaluate the %BF, for it used Lohman Protocol (1986). The normality of the data was performed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. After there was the descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation factor (r) was performed to verify the associations between BMI (Trefethen), BMI (Quetelet) and %BF. Ap significance level of <0.05 was adopted. Results: A very strong and significant relationship between Trefethen BMI and BMI Quetelet was found (r= 0.97, p= <0.001). Among the Trefethen BMI and% BF was found a strong and significant correlation (r= 0.72, p= <0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, it is concluded that the new equation of BMI can be considered as a new method for assessing the nutritional status of children and adolescents.