Body composition assessment using DXA in six-year-old children: the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil Composição corporal avaliada por DXA aos seis anos de idade: Coorte de Nascimentos de Pelotas de 2004, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil La composición corporal evaluada por DXA a los seis años de edad: cohorte de nacimientos en Pelotas, 2004, Río Grande do Sul, Brasil

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe fat (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) in six-year-old chil-dren from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort, strati-fied by gender. Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiom-etry was used to measure FM and LBM, FM and LBM indexes, and percentage (%) of FM and LBM. Mean measures of adiposity were higher among girls (6.3kg, 4.2kg/m 2 and 23.4% vs. 5kg, 3.3kg/m 2 and 18%) while LBM measures were higher among boys (19.3kg, 13kg/m 2 and 78.5% vs. 17.7kg, 12.2kg/m 2 and 73.2%). In both boys and girls mean measures of adiposity increased with socioeconomic status and maternal edu-cation. Mean measures of adiposity were higher among white-skinned children while %LBM was higher among black-skinned children. Preterm compared to full-term children showed lower mean measures of adiposity and LBM. Female sex, white skin color and higher socioeconomic conditions are associated with higher adiposity in childhood.Body Composition; Child; Longitudinal Studies Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as mas-sas gorda (MG) e magra (MM) em criancas de seis anos de idade na Coorte de Nascimentos de Pelotas de 2004, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, estratificadas por sexo. Dual-Energy X-ray Ab-sorptiometry foi usado para medir MG e MM, indices de MG e MM e percentuais (%) de MG e MM. Medias de adiposidade foram maiores entre as meninas (6,3kg, 4,2kg/m