Growth of native Hawaiian school children: II. Body mass index and skinfold measurements.

Annual measurements of skinfold thicknesses at six sites (triceps, biceps, medial calf, subscapular, abdominal, and suprailiac) and the body mass index have been obtained from a sample of native Hawaiian school children and their non-Hawaiian classmates in a four year semilongitudinal study. Four cohorts were measured, with the children beginning the study in grades one, four, seven and ten, respectively. Information on percentage of Polynesian ancestry, identity with Hawaiian culture, social class, and income were obtained from family interviews for the native Hawaiian children. Hawaiian boys at most ages surveyed are significantly fatter than their classmates on trunk sites, and are also fatter than National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II (NHANES-II) medians. Native Hawaiian girls have significantly greater trunk skinfold measures than classmates in only one surveyed age group. The percentage of Polynesian ancestry in this admixed sample of Hawaiian children is significantly related to fatness and body mass among children aged 9-12 years, but is not clearly related to fatness in other age groups. Socioeconomic measures are also not related to fatness in a simple manner. Intensive study of specific sex-age groups may be required to identify factors that influence the amount of fatness of native Hawaiian school children. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Growth of native Hawaiian school children: I. Research design, stature, and weight measurements.

A semilongitudinal survey of the growth of native Hawaiian school children, focused on the development of fatness, has been carried out on the Island of Hawaii. Four cohorts of children, first studied in grades one, four, seven, and ten, were measured annually for four years. Several factors, including percentage of Polynesian ancestry, identification with Hawaiian culture, socioeconomic status, dietary intake, and physical fitness, have been considered for their potential relationship to the development of fatness Data presented here indicate that native Hawaiian boys tend to be taller for their age than NHANES-II medians until age 14 years, but are not significantly taller than their non-Hawaiian classmates. Native Hawaiian boys and girls are heavier for their age than NHANES-II medians at most ages and are significantly heavier than non-Hawaiian classmates. Percentage of Polynesian ancestry is a significant predictor variable of both stature-for-age and weight-for-age among native Hawaiian children in the first and fourth grade cohorts. Study of fatness in a genetically heterogeneous Polynesian population that is relatively homogeneous in regard to modernization may yield insights into genetic contributions to the problem of obesity among Pacific Islanders.