Analysis of body mass index by multinomial regression in children from Ecuador

Authors

  • Carlos Castañeda Guillot
  • Elsy Labrada González
  • Lexter Michalache Bernal

Keywords:

childhood obesity, multinomial regression, Body Mass Index, pseudo R-squared, anthropometric predictors

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of childhood obesity has become a topic of interest in the field of public health, with significant consequences for well-being over time.

Objective: To analyze by multinomial regression the Body Mass Index in children from  Ecuador.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study with a multinomial regression design to evaluate the predictive capacity of several anthropometric variables on Body Mass Index in a sample of 391 children between 6 and 12 years old living in an indigenous community in the Sierra of Ecuador, selected by simple random probability sampling. A multinomial regression model was fitted to evaluate the predictive capacity of the independent variables on categorical BMI. The fit of the model and the significance of the predictors were evaluated by likelihood ratio tests.

Results: Multinomial regression analysis showed that 82.6 % had a normal BMI, while 11.5 % were overweight and 5.4 % obese. Height, abdominal skinfold and weight/height ratio were significant predictors of BMI (p<0.05), explaining between 31.3 % and 45.2 % of its variability according to pseudo R-squared measures. Sex did not show a significant association with BMI (p>0.05) in this study.

Conclusions: Anthropometric predictors such as height, abdominal adiposity and weight/height proportionality have a significant association with BMI in children from this indigenous community, while no differences in BMI were found between boys and girls.

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Published

2024-04-08

How to Cite

1.
Castañeda Guillot C, Labrada González E, Michalache Bernal L. Analysis of body mass index by multinomial regression in children from Ecuador. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 2024 Apr. 8 [cited 2025 Sep. 17];43. Available from: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/3283