The Similarity Degree of the Anthropometric and Body Composition Variables of Brazilian and Mozambican Schoolchildren: A New Approach Using the Smoothed Jaccard Index Surface

Autor: André Luiz de Góes Pacheco, Willian Motta Bocanegra, Élida Karina de Lira Ferreira, Rayssa Temudo dos Santos, Patrícia Miller Simões, Eulálio Malinga, Euclides da Conceição Guiliche, Arsénio Fernando José Isaías, Isabele Góes Nobre, João Henrique da Costa Silva, Wylla Tatiana Ferreira e Silva, Eduardo Padrón-Hernandez, Luciano Pirola, Rafael dos Santos Henrique, Carol Góis Leandro
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Children, Vol 11, Iss 7, p 804 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2227-9067
DOI: 10.3390/children11070804
Popis: Background/Objectives: Brazil and Mozambique face similar socioeconomic challenges, including common indicators of undernutrition and overnutrition among children. This study evaluated the similarity degree of the anthropometric and body composition variables of Brazilian and Mozambican children by using the Jaccard index. Methods: A total of 1831 children of both genders aged 7–10 years from three Brazilian cities (Recife, Vitoria de Santo Antao, and Lagoa do Carro) and three Mozambican cities (Maputo, Boane, and Inhambane) participated in this study. Anthropometric (height, body mass, and waist circumference) and body composition (body fat percentage [%BF], lean mass, and fat mass) variables were measured and the Smoothed Jaccard Index Surface (SJIS) was used to evaluate the similarity degree. Results: Brazilian children were taller and heavier and had a higher %BF and fat mass than Mozambican children. Children living in urban areas were taller than those living in rural zones in both countries. Brazilian and Mozambican children showed high similarity only between %BF and lean mass. Children from Recife and Maputo had high similarities among waist circumference, body mass, fat mass, height, and %BF. Finally, a high SJIS degree was observed among height and %BF for schoolchildren from rural and urban zones. Conclusion: Brazilian and Mozambican children exhibit differences in growth characteristics but a high degree of similarity when children from rural and urban zones are compared.
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