Özet:

Aim: The present investigation aimed to examine the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in Turkish children aged 6-10 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also conducting a comparison of diagnostic methods. Methods: A total of 431 healthy children (230 females, 201 males) were recruited for this study. Various anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), were collected. Furthermore, body composition was assessed through the utilization of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to ascertain fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, and the muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR). Additionally, grip strength was measured to determine the grip strength-to-BMI ratio. McCarthy's framework was employed to define sarcopenic obesity based on MFR cut-offs. Receiver operating characteristic curves were implemented to evaluate the efficacy of the grip strength-to-BMI ratio in identifying the risk of sarcopenic obesity. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was found to be 8.7% in females and 10.4% in males. In comparison to the MFR, the grip strength-to-BMI ratio exhibited considerable sensitivity in detecting the risk of sarcopenic obesity. The correlation between the ratio of grip strength to BMI and the muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR) was found to be weak among boys and girls aged 6-8 years (r=0.363, r=0.458, p<0.001), while it was strong among boys and girls aged 9-10 years (boys: r=0.628, p<0.001; girls: r=0.612, p<0.001). For girls aged 6-8 years, the cut-off value for the MFR in the 3rd quintile, as determined by the BMI, was found to be ≤0.81, while for girls aged 9-10 years, it was ≤0.78. For boys aged 6-8 years, the cut-off value was ≤0.96, and for boys aged 9-10 years, it was ≤0.61. The grip strength-to-BMI ratio was successfully used to establish optimal cut-off points for defining the risk of sarcopenic obesity. In the age-adjusted binary regression model, the odds ratio (OR) for girls was: 11,833 %95 CI (3,353-41,757) p<0,001, while for boys, it was OR 11,705, CI (3,318-41,290) with p<0.001. Conclusion: The research sheds light on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child wellness. Specifically, reduced opportunities for exercise due to lockdowns and school closures, coupled with potential changes in nutrition during this period, could have negatively impacted body composition in children. By applying BIA to estimate body composition indicators amongst a sample of young participants, the study provides valuable insights. It suggests the grip-BMI ratio warrants consideration as a screening metric to identify at-risk pediatric demographics.

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