Normal values of the body roundness index, body shape index and taper index in healthy Russian children aged 5–12 years

Introduction. Currently, normative values for the new anthropometric indices (body roundness index (BRI), a body shape index (ABSI), and conicity index (CI)) have not been standardised by age or gender in children.

Objective. To determine the normative values of the indices: BRI, ABSI, and CI in healthy Russian children aged 5–12, taking age and gender into account.

Materials and methods. This analysis included the anthropometric results of 22,194 healthy children from 46 regions of Russia between 2019 and 2024.

Results. Centile data was obtained for each age group (5–12 years) and gender, including the median and percentiles (5, 25, 75 and 95%) of the BRI, ABSI, and CI indices, as well as the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI). Graphical trends in the studied indices by age showed a decrease with increasing age between 5 and 12 years. The reverse pattern was observed only with the BMI level, which increased with age during this period of child development. Statistically significant gender differences were also found: girls had significantly lower levels of BRI, ABSI, CI, and WHtR than boys, including BMI.

Limitations. The narrow age range within which these anthropometric indices were calculated is a limitation of this study. It ranged from 5.5 to 12.5 years.

Conclusion. Centile characteristics of the new anthropometric indices as BRI, ABSI, CI and WHtR were obtained. Accumulating data from different age groups will contribute to the systematization of information on these indices, their norms, and their prognostic role in various childhood pathologies.

Compliance with ethical standards. The testing of children was carried out as part of a federal project by the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation (https://sportchampions.ru/about). The autonomous non-profit physical culture and sports organization "Become a Champion" was a federal experimental (innovative) platform during the project's implementation. The legal representatives of all study participants gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the testing.

Contribution of the authors:
Shvartz V.A. — writing the text, statistical data processing;
Danilov V.V. — collection and processing of material;
Koroleva S.A. — collection and processing of material;
Shvartz E.N. — statistical data processing;
Permyakov V.E. — collection and processing of material;
Donakanyan S.A. — writing the text, compilation of the list of literature;
Erastova N.V. — research concept and design.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Acknowledgments. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: May 20, 2025 / Accepted: August 19, 2025 / Published: July 28, 2026

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