Performance of references based on body mass index for detecting excess body fatness in schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years.

Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of body mass index (BMI)-based classification systems and to determine the optimal cut-offs for predicting excess body fatness in schoolchildren.

Methods: 2795 schoolchildren aged 7 - 10 years were examined. Excess body fatness was defined as the standardized residuals of the sum of three skinfold thickness ranking at or above the 90th percentile.