Skinfolds in affluent Punjabi preschool children.

ABSTRACT

The skinfold thickness at three different sites (triceps, subscapular and suprailiac) were measured using Holtain Skin Fold Caliper in 941 children of 0-5 years of age. The sample consisted of children from affluent families of Ludhiana (Punjab) in order to include only the optimally growing children. The skinfold thickness at all the three sites showed a progressive rise in mean values upto the age of 1 year and thereafter the trend was downwards till the age of 5 years in both the sexes. The values were higher in girls in all age groups. The mean triceps skinfold thickness was the highest followed by subscapular and suprailiac thickness in both sexes in almost all age groups. There was no correlation between the body weight and skinfold thickness values (mean r value = 0.09). Triceps and suprailiac skinfold thickness were significantly lower than the corresponding British values in both the sexes in all age groups. However, the subscapular values were comparable with British values in the females of all age groups and also in males above three years of age. Larger multicentric studies are recommended to frame the norms for Indian children.