ABSTRACT
Findings of a nutritional evaluation study, using triceps skinfold, are reported. The study was carried out in 1,615 school-children from 5 to 12 years, pertaining to the low socioeconomic status of the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Measurements were done during the years 1983 and 1984 by Center's examiners with a Lange caliper, according to international anthropometric methodology. Interintra observer technical error was found to be within tolerance limits reported by other authors. Local standards were used to determine the prevalence of thinness and excessive fatness, by comparing them to tricep skinfold of each child, and selecting those children where this parameter presented values less than or equal to 10th percentile and fatness greater than or equal to 90th percentile. Furthermore, comparison between median triceps skinfold of the examined group, the local standards and Frisancho's norms for US population was also made. Results revealed that: a) the prevalence of thinness (19.9%) was almost twice the percentage expected for a normal population; in contrast, occurrence of excessive fatness (6.4%) was found to be below the expected value; b) prevalence of thinness was not statistically associated to age nor sex; c) frequency of excessive fatness was significantly higher in the 8-11 year-old male group (8, 9%, p much less than 0.0005) and in the girls group (10.8%), P much less than 0.005) the prevalence of fatness in girls increased with age, and figures revealed that from eight years onwards this exceeded the expected percentage, and d) median triceps skinfold of the group under study was generally below local and foreign norms. It is concluded that potential or real nutrition problems as those mentioned above, may be grossly identified using the triceps skinfold as the single anthropometric indicator.
