Lee SJ, Kuo LY, Tsai MW, Chen YP, Lin SH; Department of Physical Therapy, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan, Republic of China. sjlee@ym.edu.tw.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the body composition between the pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy and normally developed children, and to explore the factors that influence body composition of the pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy. SUBJECTS: Seventy-four pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy (mean age=6.4 ± .4 years) and 93 normally developed pre-pubertal children (mean age=6.1 ± 2.1 years) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. There was no significant difference of the age and sex between two groups of subjects. METHODS: Body composition of each subject was assessed with the use of the body height and weight digital scale, tape measure, and skinfold caliper. Variables of body composition that acquired in this study included the body mass index, weight-for-length index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, triceps skinfold thickness, subscapular skinfold thickness, suprailiac skinfold thickness, and calf skinfold thickness. Information about personal and family’s characteristics, levels of the Gross Motor Function Classification System, feeding and nutritional characteristics, and physical activity of each of subjects with cerebral palsy were also recorded. ANALYSES: Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the various variables of body composition between two groups of subjects. Analysis of covariance with adjustment for age was used to determine factors influencing the body composition of the pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy. RESULTS: All variables of body composition in pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy were significantly smaller than those of the normally developed pre-pubertal children (p < 0.05), excepted for the suprailiac skinfold thickness and the waist-hip ratio. The results of this study showed that types of cerebral palsy, levels of gross motor function, the ability of chewing and swallowing, and the income of children’s family significantly influenced most variables of body composition in pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Body composition of the pre-pubertal children with cerebral palsy is significantly different from that of the normally developed pre-pubertal children. FUNDING SOURCE: Department of Health of Republic of China #DOH92-TD-1036.

Copyright 2004 by the American Physical Therapy Association

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