The age at menarche was estimated by recollection in 1617 women between the ages of 18 and 60 in Madrid and a nearby suburb, Pinto. The population of Pinto is working-class and the Madrid group, taken from residential neighbourhoods, belongs to the upper middle class. In both groups we found a diminution in average age at menarche, from 14·04 to 13·02 years in Madrid and from 14·55 to 13·16 years from about 1935 to about 1965 in Pinto. These changes have been more intense in the group which is less well-off economically, where living conditions have varied much more drastically. Das Menarchealter wurde geschätzt durch die Erinnerungsmethode bei 1617 Frauen zwischen den Altern von 18 und 60 Jahren in Madrid und einer nahen Vorstadt, Pinto. Die Bevölkerung von Pinto gehört zur arbeitenden Klasse und die Madrider Gruppe, die aus guten Wohngebieten stammt, gehört der oberen Mittelklasse an. Bei beiden Gruppen fanden wir eine Verringerung des durchschnittlichen Menarche alters, von etwa 1935 bis 1965 von 14,04 auf 13,02 Jahre in Madrid und von 14,55 auf 13,16 Jahre in Pinto. Diese Veränderungen waren stärker bei der ökonomisch weniger gut gestellten Gruppe, bei der die Lebensbedingungen sich erheblich stärker verändert haben. L'âge à la ménarche a été estimé par appel au souvenir chez 1617 femmes entre les âges de 18 et 60 ans à Madrid et dans un faubourg voisin, Pinto. La population de Pinto est de classe ouvrière et le groupe de Madrid, pris dans des quartiers résidentiels, appartient à la classe moyenne supérieure. Dans les deux groupes nous avons trouvé une diminution de l'âge moyen à la ménarche depuis environ 1935 à environ 1965, de 14,04 à 13,02 ans à Madrid et de 14,55 à 13,66 ans à Pinto. Ces changements on été plus intenses dans le groupe le moins aisé économiquement, où les conditions de vie ont changé beaucoup plus profondément.

Objective: To analyse the association between waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) and body fat and to develop predictive adiposity equations that will simplify the diagnosis of obesity in the paediatric age group.Design: Cross-sectional study conducted in Spain during 2007 and 2008. Anthropometric dimensions were taken according to the International Biology Program. The children were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese according to national standards of percentage body fat (%BF). WtHR differences among nutritional status categories were evaluated using ANOVA. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were carried out using WtHR as a predictor variable for %BF. A t test was applied to the results obtained by the regression model and by the Siri equation. The degree of agreement between both methods was evaluated by estimating the intra-class correlation coefficient.Setting: Elementary and secondary schools in Madrid (Spain).Subjects: Girls (n 1158) and boys (n 1161) from 6 to 14 years old.Results: WtHR differed significantly (P < 0·001) depending on nutritional status category. This index was correlated (P < 0·001) with all adiposity indicators. The mean %BF values estimated by the regression model (boys: %BF = 106·50 × WtHR – 28·36; girls: %BF = 89·73 × WtHR – 15·40) did not differ from those obtained by the Siri equation. The intra-class correlation coefficient (0·85 in boys, 0·79 in girls) showed a high degree of concordance between both methods.Conclusions: WtHR proved to be an effective method for predicting relative adiposity in 6–14-year-olds. The developed equations can help to simplify the diagnosis of obesity in schoolchildren.

From the point of view of prevention, it is convenient to explore the association between eating behavior and the obese phenotype during school and adolescent age. The aim of the present study was to identify eating behavior patterns associated with nutritional status in Spanish schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study of 283 boys and girls (aged 6 to 16 years) was carried out. The sample was evaluated anthropometrically by Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body fat percentage (%BF). Eating behavior was analyzed using the CEBQ “Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire”. The subscales of the CEBQ were significantly associated with BMI, WHtR and %BF. Pro-intake subscales (enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, emotional overeating, desire for drinks) were positively related to excess weight by BMI (β = 0.812 to 0.869; p = 0.002 to <0.001), abdominal obesity (β = 0.543–0.640; p = 0.02 to <0.009) and high adiposity (β = 0.508 to 0.595; p = 0.037 to 0.01). Anti-intake subscales (satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, food fussiness) were negatively related to BMI (β = −0.661 to −0.719; p = 0.009 to 0.006) and % BF (β = −0.17 to −0.46; p = 0.042 to p = 0.016).

Introduction: Certain behavioral traits increase the risk of obesity at early ages. Exploring patterns of eating behavior in schoolchildren using tools like the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) is crucial for obesity prevention and intervention. Before this study, the CEBQ had been validated in various languages, including Spanish, but only in preschool‐aged children, despite its previous use in various studies in the Spanish language and population. The objective is to assess the reliability and internal consistency of the CEBQ questionnaire applied to a sample of Spanish schoolchildren and to explore the association between eating behavior assessed through the CEBQ and nutritional status based on BMI.Methods: Parents or guardians of 283 Spanish schoolchildren aged 6–16 years completed the Spanish version of the CEBQ questionnaire. Factor analyses were conducted on all CEBQ items, and differences between genders and age groups were examined. Correlations between children's BMI Z‐scores and eating behaviors were analyzed through linear regression.Results: The factor analysis revealed that the CEBQ is suitable in its original structure of eight subscales translated into Spanish, demonstrating adequate reliability and acceptable correlations between subscales. Gender appears to have minimal influence on eating behavior. However, with increasing age, schoolchildren tend to eat more quickly and are less fussy about food (SE [slowness in eating] [p = 0.012] and FF [food fussiness] [p = 0.012] decrease). Positive associations were found between BMI Z‐scores and all pro‐eating dimension subscales, while negative associations were identified with all antieating dimension subscales (p < 0.05) except EUE (emotional undereating) (p = 0.106).Conclusions: The CEBQ is a valid psychometric tool that can be reliably used to assess eating behavior characteristics in Spanish schoolchildren aged 6–16 years.