A technician trained through this project is analysing saliva samples for deuterium enrichment to calculate body composition. (Photo: J. Francis/Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, Caribbean Institute for Health Research)
Data collected through an IAEA project to measure obesity in children will contribute to the development of targeted nutrition policies in Caribbean countries to improve children's health and address important public health challenges.
Eight Caribbean countries have enhanced their capacity to track obesity‑related factors in children with support from the IAEA technical cooperation programme. Participating countries have strengthened their scientific infrastructure and personnel capacity and generated robust baseline data to address the growing regional challenge of malnutrition.
While undernutrition persists in vulnerable communities, obesity, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases are rising at alarming rates, especially among children. Estimates from UNICEF and WHO indicate that the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity affects up to 30% of children in the region.
Using deuterium to measure body fat and lean tissue
Under the IAEA project, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago received supplies and training to use a stable isotope technique for monitoring body composition in children. This method produces accurate data that can inform policies to address childhood obesity.
"Participants were trained in the use of deuterium dilution to assess body composition. The method provides a more accurate understanding of nutritional health than many commonly used approaches," said Alexia Alford, Technical Officer in the IAEA Division of Human Health.
Deuterium is a stable form of hydrogen that exists naturally in the water in our bodies that experts use to measure body fat and lean tissue. A person drinks a small amount of water that contains deuterium and then samples of their urine or saliva are collected and analysed to estimate the proportion of fat and lean tissue in the body.
"This project has facilitated improved networking and collaboration in nutrition research using stable isotopes to measure body composition," said Simon Anderson, Director of the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre at the University of the West Indies in Barbados. "This knowledge has enriched our capacity to undertake further studies to improve the nutritional and health status of individuals across the Caribbean," Anderson added.
Seventy nutrition and health professionals from across the Caribbean have now been trained in body composition assessment using this stable isotope technique. Laboratories in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Jamaica have enhanced their capacity to analyse stable isotopes, ensuring that data can be processed within the region and supporting long-term sustainability.
Body composition data informs efforts to reduce childhood obesity
Preliminary results of the project were presented at a meeting in Vienna earlier this year. Body composition data from more than 400 children were collected from Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, together with detailed information on diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time. This dataset represents one of the most comprehensive assessments of childhood obesity conducted in the Caribbean.
"Through this project, Antigua and Barbuda now has data on body composition for primary school children which will inform interventions towards reducing childhood obesity in the population," said Samantha Moitt, a registered dietitian at Mount St John Medical Centre in Antigua and Barbuda. "This capacity will allow us to conduct further studies in other cohorts and support neighbouring countries with sample analysis."
The data collected through the project will contribute to the development of guidelines for school nutrition policies in the region, including restricting sugar-sweetened beverages in schools and improving the food environment in and around school campuses.
