Sex disparities in body composition trends among elementary school students based on grade

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The study analyzed body composition differences between boys and girls in grades V to VIII in Knjaževac, Serbia.
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Significant trends were found in skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and lean body mass, with p-values indicating statistical significance.
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Boys showed a significant increase in relative muscle mass, while girls exhibited a notable increase in body fat percentage.
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The findings underscore the importance of considering sex differences when monitoring children's body composition.
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The research highlights a growing public health concern regarding obesity trends among children in the Balkan region.

Frontiers In Pediatrics

by Stefan Đorđević, Bojan Jorgić, Saša Milenković, Miljan Hadžović, Mima Stanković, Stănescu Rareș Cristian, Coja Daniel Mădălin, Ștefănescu Cătălin Aurelian, Ilie Onu, Daniel-Andrei Iordan
June 17, 2026

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