Body mass index percentiles classified by Somatotypes of Saudi children in the city of Al-Ahsa and compared to international references

Given their importance and direct relationship to the child's physical health in the vicinity of peers, our goal is to study the Somatotypes of our Saudi children in the general education stages and to build their standard tables. It is imperative to follow the development of their physical development in light of their international rates. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the sample was selected in the systematic stratified form of the primary and intermediate government schools in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, where 1350 students were subjected to measurements of height, weight, thickness of skinfold and circumferences in some areas of the body, the BMI equation was also applied to indicate the main body Somatotypes.
The results of the variation in the distribution of Saudi children on Somatotypes, while the proportion of Mesomorphic type 28.81% in the total sample, the Ectomorphic type (Thinness degrees) in the forefront of 53.41%, while the Endomorphic type (overweight and obesity degrees) 17.78%, with the trend to increase proportion in line with age, as the age group 14: 14.99 achieved the largest rates of overweight and obesity in all its degrees.
 The study also contributed to the achievement of the BMI tables of the sample age range of 6:14.99, which were used to compare with their peers in European societies. The comparison of the 50th percentile of the current BMI and the reference studies applied to German children showed differences for the benefit of Saudi children. Which refers to the tendency of our children to gain weight at all ages under study.
Based on the results, we recommend using the BMI percentile tables in the current study in growth studies of children (males) during the age group 6-15 years. Identifying growth spurts or obvious problems, and then proposing solutions to maintain the physical condition of children at normal rates corresponding to their stage of development.