Abstract
Background: Good health is very important in our lives and plays a significant role. Many health risks are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. These risks are responsible for raising the risk of chronic heart diseases and other health complications. Females are not exempted from these issues. Objective: To identify the obesity-associated health risks of female students by using selected anthropometric measurements. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including 300 females aged 20.82 ± 5.23 years from the college of applied medical sciences, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University. The anthropometric measurements (body mass index, percentage of body fat, visceral fat area, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio,and waist-height ratio) were taken with the help of an auto-calibrated bioelectric impedance device. The waist-height ratio was determined by dividing waist circumference with height. Cross tabulation was done to scrutinize the participant’s levels at risk and high risk. Linear regression analysis was done to see the relationship and prediction between selected anthropometric measurements. Results: The finding showed that BMI level was high in 55% of participants, Waist-height ratio over the average level was 46.67% and 21% of participants had a visceral fat area on risk. Linear regression analysis showed a strong association among body mass index, percentage of body fat, visceral fat area, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio,and waist-height ratio and statistically significant to each other at the 0.01 level. Conclusion: The selected anthropometric measurements can be used to identify health-related risks. Though, when any anthropometric measurement dichotomized as standard or high, BMI is the best measure to predict health risk.
Highlights
Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity [1]
Linear regression analysis showed a strong association among body mass index, percentage of body fat, visceral fat area, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio,and waist-height ratio and statistically significant to each other at the 0.01 level
Most of the female students were young with an average age 20.8±5.23 years; Height was 157.07±5.78cm, body mass 57.45±13.25kg, Body Mass Index (BMI) 23.18±4.7kg/m, Percentage of Body Fat (PBF) 30.10±6.58%, VCA 59.12±34.20cm2, Waist Circumference (WC) 76.87±8.88cm, Waist-hip Ratio (WHR) .78±.06, Waist-height Ratio (WHtR) .49±
Summary
Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity [1]. The BMI used to determine the level of body fat and a good measure of health risk that can appear with enhanced body fat. The high BMI may predict health risk for many diseases as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, breathing problems, certain cancer, and elevated mortality risk [4]. Enhanced abdominal fat is a notable risk factor for disease as excess body fat. Visceral fat considered as more significant health risk than the waist, hip, and thigh fat, for diabetes but for many other diseases too [6]. Many health risks are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. These risks are responsible for raising the risk of chronic heart diseases and other health complications.
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