Association between bone age maturity and childhood adiposity

Summary Background Evidence shows that overweight and obesity are associated with advanced bone age (BA). Objective To analyse the effect of adiposity on BA among Mexican children. Methods This cross‐sectional study included 902 children (5–18 years old). Anthropometric measurements, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and automated hand X‐ray‐based BA measurements were obtained. BA curves of children stratified by sex and age were created based on nutritional status. We also calculated odds ratios for advanced BA associated with the body mass index (BMI), waist/height ratio and adiposity estimated using DXA (total and truncal fat mass). Results Participants with overweight/obesity by BMI (SDS ≥1) advanced earlier in BA than did normal weight participants (6.0 vs. 12.0 years in boys and 6.0 vs. 10.3 in girls, p < 0.01); similarly, participants with a greater body fat percentage (SDS ≥1) exhibited earlier advanced BA (7.5 vs. 10.0 years in boys and 6.0 vs. 9.6 in girls, p < 0.01). Differences were also observed according to the waist/height ratio and truncal fat. Children with a BMI or DXA SDS ≥1 had greater odds of presenting an advanced BA of more than 1 year (OR 1.79–3.55, p < 0.05). Conclusions Increased adiposity in children, mainly in boys, is associated with advanced BA at earlier ages.