Abstract
Background: Determination of cutoff points for waist circumference (WC) is of paramount importance for prevention,optimum management, and prognosis of obesity, the metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronaryheart disease. The aim of this project was to establish cut-off levels for waist circumference in Eastern Mediterranean andMiddle East (Arab) populations in Basrah, Iraq. Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional survey forestablishing normal value of WC from one district in Basrah (Abu-Al-khasib). A multiple stratified sampling procedure wasused for sample selection. Results: The cutoff level yielding the maximal sensitivity plus specificity for predicting thepresence of multiple risk factors was 97cm in men and 99 cm in women. Sensitivity and specificity using these cut-off valueswere 70% and 50% respectively in men and 70% and 45% respectively in women. Conclusion: We propose an optimalcutoff point of WC for the diagnosis of MetS in the Iraqi population: 99 cm in women and 97 men. (Int J Diabetes Metab15:14-16, 2007)
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