Changes in adiposity and body mass index from late childhood to adult lifein the Trois-Rivieres study

This study explored tracking of the body mass index (BMI) in a representati ve subgroup of subjects (95 women and 96 men) who were involved in the Troi s-Rivieres Growth and Development Study by testing autocorrelations between data for 10, 11, and 12 years and corresponding values at 34 years of age. Tracking of skinfold measurements (subscapular, triceps, suprailiac, and a bdominal, and their sum) over the same intervals (60 women and 52 men) was also evaluated. After the age of 12 years, subjects showed a similar develo pment of absolute values, whether they were from the experimental or the co ntrol group. Gains of the BMI and skinfold thicknesses showed expected gend er differences. In particular, men showed larger gains of the BMI and abdom inal skinfolds, whereas women had larger gains in the triceps skinfold. Inc reases in the sum of four skinfolds did not differ significantly between me n and women, suggesting that the larger BMI gains in men were caused by a l arger relative increase of fat free mass in the men. Tracking coefficients for the BMI were lower in men than in women between 10, 11, 12, and 34 year s (r = 0.43-0.49 vs, r = 0.64-0.70, P < 0.001). The results indicate that t he body composition of participants in the Trois-Rivieres Growth and Develo pment study developed in a similar fashion whether or not their primary sch ool instruction included additional physical education instruction. The res ults also suggest that prediction of adult obesity based on childhood BMI m easurements is more effective in girls than in boys. <(c)> 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.