Does a parsimonious measure of complex body mass index trajectories exist?

ABSTRACT:

Background

A single measure that distills complex body mass index (BMI) trajectories into one value could facilitate otherwise complicated analyses. This study creates and assesses the validity of such a measure: average excess BMI.

Methods

We use data from Waves I-IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 17,669). We calculate average excess BMI by integrating to find the area above a healthy BMI trajectory and below each subject-specific trajectory and divide this value by total study time. To assess validity and utility, we (1) evaluate relationships between average excess BMI from adolescence to adulthood and adult chronic conditions, (2) compare associations and fit to models using subject-specific BMI trajectory parameter estimates as pre

SUBMITTER: Sokol RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6430191 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature