Can body mass index influence the skin temperature of adolescents? A preliminary study with the use of infrared thermography

Authors

Hamilton Henrique Teixeira Reis, Federal University of Viçosa
Ciro José Brito, Federal University of Juiz de Fora
Alisson Gomes da Silva, Federal University of Viçosa, Air Cadets Preparatory School
Manuel Sillero-Quintana, Polytechnic University of Madrid
Victória Esther Teixeria Reis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Francisco Zacaron Werneck, Federal University of Ouro Preto
Ismael Fernández-Cuevas, Polytechnic University of Madrid
Matheus Santos Cerqueira, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Southeast of Minas Gerais
João Carlos Bouzas Marins, Federal University of Viçosa

Date of this Version

9-9-2022

Citation

Reis HHT, Brito CJ, Silva AG, Sillero-Quintana M, Reis VET, Werneck FZ, Fernández-Cuevas I, Cerqueira MS, Marins JCB. Can body mass index influence the skin temperature of adolescents? A preliminary study with the use of infrared thermography. Rev Bras Cineantropom Desempenho Hum 2022, 24:e89769. DOI: http://doi. org/10.1590/1980-0037.2022v24e89769Us

Comments

Used by permission.

Abstract

– Infrared thermography (IRT) has been used to assess skin temperature (Tsk), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as an important tool in medical screening not only of the general population, but also of young athletes. However, the subcutaneous adipose tissue can act as an insulator when the Tsk is assessed by IRT, modifying the normal Tsk data and leading to their misinterpretation. Considering that the body mass index (BMI) is an important predictor of obesity, the objective of this study was to verify if the Tsk measured by IRT is affected by the BMI in adolescents. A preliminary study was carried out being four participants intentionally selected, all 16 years old, each one classified in a different BMI range according to the criteria of the World Health Organization for the adolescent population: underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity. Four thermograms of each participant were recorded and the ThermoHuman^® software was used to evaluate 82 regions of interest (ROI), which were integrated into 6 body regions. Using healthy weight subjects as a reference, it was found a progressive reduction in Tsk in all ROI compared to overweight and obese participants, with emphasis on the anterior region of the trunk (3.04% and 6.69% less respectively), and an increase in the Tsk of all body regions for the underweight subject. There are indications that BMI can influence the Tsk value in adolescents and should be taken into account when analyzing thermograms for a correct evaluation of thermal normality.