Waist Circumference To Height Ratio Research Articles

Waist-circumference-to-height-ratio had better longitudinal agreement with DEXA-measured fat mass than BMI in 7237 children.

The absolute agreement of surrogate measures of adiposity with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)-measured body composition was examined. Over a 15-year follow-up, 7237 (3667 females)nine-year-old children from theAvon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) UK birth cohort were included. Total fat mass (FM) and trunk FM were serially measured with DEXA at ages 9, 11, 15, 17, and 24 years. BMI and waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) were computed. Pearson's correlations, intraclass correlations (ICC), and area under curve (AUC) analyses were conducted. Over 15 years, BMI, total FM, and trunk FM, increased but WHtR was relatively stable. WHtR provided a better longitudinal absolute agreement [males ICC 0.84 (95% CI 0.84-0.85); females 0.81 (0.80-0.82)] than BMI [(males (0.65 (0.64-0.66); females 0.72 (0.71-0.73)] with total FM as well as trunk FM from ages 9-24 years. WHtR cut-point for predicting excess total FM (75th-95th percentile) was 0.50-0.53 in males [AUC 0.86-0.94, sensitivity 0.51-0.79 and specificity 0.93-0.95]. WHtR cut-point for predicting excess total FM (75th-95th percentile) was 0.52-0.54 in females [AUC 0.83-0.95, sensitivity 0.38-0.68 and specificity 0.92-0.95]. Results were similar with trunk FM. WHtR is an inexpensive alternative to BMI for predicting FM in pediatrics. Waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a better adiposity surrogate measure than body mass index (BMI) in predicting fat mass and discriminating lean mass from childhood through young adulthood. BMI has been used as an inexpensive surrogate measure of adiposity in children for several decades. However, emerging findings suggest that BMI fails to discriminate between fat mass adiposity and lean mass. This is the first-ever longitudinal study in over 7000 children followed up for 15 years that identified WHtR as an inexpensive accurate measure that discriminates fat mass from lean mass that could replace BMI measure of obesity in pediatrics.

Reference percentiles for tri-ponderal mass index and its association with general and abdominal obesity among Iranian children and adolescents: A report from the SHED LIGHT study.

The body mass index (BMI) has some limitations in identifying obesity, particularly among children and adolescents. We sought to determine the reference percentiles of tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) for Iranian population, and its relation to BMI, waist circumference (WC), and waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR). Baseline characteristics for 14 641 children and adolescents were applied. The area under the characteristics (AUC) curve and optimal cut-off points for TMI were used to define the accuracy of TMI for discriminating general and central obesity compared to other anthropometric measurements. TMI levels remained stable from 6 to 18 years with a small range of difference. The highest AUCs for discriminating obesity according to BMI and WHtR ≥0.5 from non-obese subjects were related to TMI (0.980) and TMI (0.912), respectively, and these findings were similar for both sexes. Moreover, the AUC for TMI to discriminate central obesity by WHtR was higher than that for BMI (0.912 vs. 0.833, p< .001), and this difference was similar among sex and age groups. The optimal value of TMI for discriminating general obesity, obesity by WC, and obesity by WHtR were 15.2 (sensitivity 96.2 and specificity 89.8), 15 (sensitivity 86.9 and specificity 79.9), and 13.9 (sensitivity 85.1 and specificity 81.5), respectively. TMI discriminated central obesity by WHtR more accurately than obesity by BMI among Iranian children and adolescents irrespective of sex. Besides it remained relatively constant across age- and sex-specific groups providing a single optimal cut-off point for screening obesity during childhood and adolescence.

Association between obesity and atopic dermatitis in children: A case-control study in a high obesity prevalence population.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Research suggests an association between obesity and AD, although evidence is lacking from Latin American populations. This study evaluated the association of obesity with AD in children from Chile, a country with high obesity prevalence. A case-control study was performed in children with active AD (cases) and healthy controls (HCs) from Santiago, Chile. Body mass index was evaluated by z-score (z-BMI), with overweight defined as z-BMI ≥+1 and <+2, and obesity as z-BMI ≥+2. Abdominal obesity was defined by a waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHR) ≥0.5. AD severity was evaluated by Scoring AD (SCORAD) index. A total of 174 children with AD and 101 controls were included. AD patients had similar overweight (27% vs. 28%) and obesity (21% vs. 26%) rates as HCs (p=.65). Abdominal obesity rates were also comparable (64% vs. 62%, p=.81). In sex-specific analyses, girls with AD had higher abdominal obesity rates than HCs (71% vs. 53%, p < .05) while boys with AD had lower abdominal obesity rates than HCs (53% vs. 75%, p=.03). Among children with AD, higher z-BMI or WHR did not correlate with higher SCORAD, eosinophil counts or total IgE. In our study, Chilean children with AD had high but similar rates of obesity as HCs, but showed sex-specific associations of abdominal obesity and AD. Further research is needed to evaluate these associations and the roles that weight excess and weight loss could play in the pathogenesis and treatment of AD.

Associations between ultra- or minimally processed food intake and three adiposity indicators among US adults: NHANES 2011 to 2016.

Ultraprocessed food (UPF) intake is associated with BMI, but effects on regional adipose depots or related to minimally processed food (MPF) intake are unknown. Data included 12,297 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011 to 2016. This study analyzed associations between usual percentage of kilocalories from UPFs and MPFs and three adiposity indicators: supine sagittal abdominal diametertoheight ratio (SADHtR, estimates visceral adiposity); waist circumferencetoheight ratio (WHtR, estimates abdominal adiposity); and BMI, using linear and multinomial logistic regression. Standardized β coefficients per 10% increase in UPF intake were 0.0926, 0.0846, and 0.0791 for SADHtR, WHtR, and BMI, respectively (all p < 0.001; p > 0.26 for pairwise differences). For MPF intake, the β coefficients were -0.0901, -0.0806, and -0.0688 (all p < 0.001; p > 0.18 pairwise). Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for adiposity tertile 3 versus tertile 1 (comparing UPF intake quartiles 2, 3, and 4 to quartile 1) were 1.33 (1.22-1.45), 1.67 (1.43-1.95), and 2.24 (1.76-2.86), respectively, for SADHtR; 1.31 (1.19-1.44), 1.62 (1.37-1.91), and 2.13 (1.63-2.78), respectively, for WHtR; and 1.27 (1.16-1.39), 1.53 (1.31-1.79), and 1.96 (1.53-2.51), respectively, for BMI. MPF intake showed inverse associations with similar trends in association strength. Among US adults, abdominal and visceral adiposity indictors were positively associated with UPFs and inversely associated with MPFs.

Challenges Measuring All Forms of Malnutrition in Adolescence in Kenya: Varying Cut Offs for Obesity, Iron Deficiency, and Anemia Change the Prevalence of Malnutrition

ObjectivesMalnutrition is shifting in Kenya (increasing rates of obesity with high rates of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency). There is little consensus on how to measure the coexistence of all forms of malnutrition among adolescents. This study aimed to compare how the prevalence of malnutrition changes depending on the cut-off values and measures of overweight, obesity, undernutrition, iron deficiency, and anemia used. MethodsGirls in late adolescence (15–19 years, n = 313) living in Kibera, an urban informal settlement, participated in a survey; height, weight, waist circumference assessment; and a blood draw. BMI z-scores (BMIz) were calculated from the WHO 2007 Child Growth Standards for overweight (>1SD) and obesity (>2SD). We defined central adiposity as waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) > 0.5, underweight as BMIz< -2SD, stunting as height for age z-score (HAZ) <-2SD, iron deficiency (ID) as serum ferritin (Ft) < 25 μg/L (to account for functional iron deficiency masked by inflammation); and anemia (A) as Hb < 120 g/L adjusted for elevation. ResultsOverweight, obesity, underweight, and stunting data were available from 313 participants, but hemoglobin and ferritin data were only available from 293 and 297 participants, respectively. The prevalence of central adiposity was 29.7%, overweight was 19.5%, and obesity was 2.2%. Using WHtR and BMIz led to an estimated prevalence of 13.1% for overweight and 2.2% for obesity. The prevalence of underweight was 1.0% and of stunting was 1.3%. The prevalence of iron deficiency was 19.2%, of anemia was 24.6%, and of iron deficiency anemia was 10.9%. We assessed the coexistence of all forms of malnutrition among 297 participants. The prevalence of the coexistence of overweight (BMIz or WHtR) and ID or A was 9.1%. The prevalence of the coexistence of obesity (BMIz or WHtR) and ID or A was 7.1%. When overweight is defined using BMIz AND WHtR, the prevalence of the coexistence of overweight and ID or A was only 2.4% and there was no coexistence of obesity and ID or A. When stunting was included, the prevalence of the coexistence all forms of malnutrition increased to 9.8%. ConclusionsSmall changes in cut-offs led to notable changes in the prevalence of malnutrition. Further research is needed on which indicators provide the most precise estimates of malnutrition. Funding SourcesUNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Dept. Pilot Grant.

The risk of chronic kidney disease in relation to anthropometric measures of obesity: A Swedish cohort study

BackgroundIt has been shown that individuals with obesity have a higher risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is unclear which measure of obesity is most useful for prediction of CKD in the general population. The aim of this large prospective study was to explore the association between several anthropometric measures of obesity, i. e., body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), percentage of body fat (BF%), weight, height and incidence of hospitalizations due to CKD, in a population-based cohort study.MethodsThe ‘Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS)’ cohort in Sweden was examined during 1991 to 1996. A total of 28,449 subjects underwent measurement of anthropometric measures and blood pressure and filled out a questionnaire. Incidence of in- and outpatient hospital visits for CKD was monitored from the baseline examination over a mean follow-up of 18 years. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to explore the association between anthropometric measures and incidence of CKD, with adjustments for risk factors.ResultsThe final study population included 26,723 subjects, 45-73 years old at baseline. Higher values of BMI, WC, WHR, WHtR and weight were associated with an increased risk of developing CKD in both men and women. Only in women, higher values of BF% was associated with higher risk of CKD. Comparing the 4th vs 1st quartile of the obesity measure, the highest hazard ratio (HR) for CKD in men was observed for BMI, HR 1.51 (95% CI: 1.18-1.94) and weight (HR 1.52 (95% CI: 1.19-1.94). For women the highest HR for CKD was observed for BF%, HR 2.01 (95% CI: 1.45-2.78).ConclusionsIn this large prospective study, all anthropometric measures of obesity were associated with a substantially increased incidence of CKD, except for BF% in men. Some measures were slightly more predictive for the risk of CKD than others such as BMI and weight in men and BF% in women. In clinical daily practice use of all anthropometric measures of obesity might be equally useful to assess the risk of developing CKD. This study supports the strong evidence for an association between obesity and CKD.

Food intake, physical activity and body composition of adolescents and young adults: data from Brazilian Study of Nutrition and Health

BackgroundLifestyle acquired in youth can determine the individual’s health. Constant vigilances in all aspects related to the health of the young population is essential, and evaluate their health parameters is important. The objective of this study was to describe and to compare food intake, physical activity (PA) practice, nutritional status and body composition between adolescents and young adults.MethodsFour hundred seventy-six individuals from the Brazilian Study of Nutrition and Health (EBANS) were analyzed. Food intake was evaluated by applying two 24-h Dietary Recall. The PA and sitting time (ST) were measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in minutes/week and metabolic equivalent task (METs). Body weight and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Mann-Whitney and Chi-Square tests were used.ResultsEnergy and macronutrients intake, number of meals, and breakfast skippers weren’t different between age groups. 48% of adolescents and 53% of young adults didn’t meet the PA recommendation, and adolescents practiced more PA than young adults (total PA: p = 0.006; METs: p < 0.001; leisure PA: p = 0.001); the individuals who studied practiced more PA (total PA: p = 0.034; METs: p = 0.029; leisure PA: p < 0.001) and had ST significantly higher (p = 0.009) than those who worked. Almost 30% of adolescents and 45% of young adults had excess weight; presenting difference according to nutritional status, WC and WHtR (p < 0.001).ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of excess weight among young Brazilians and differences were observed between age groups regarding nutritional status, body composition and PA practice.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.Gov NCT02226627. Retrospectively registered on August 27, 2014.

Waist circumference-to-height ratio and body mass index for obesity classification in Irish children.

Waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHt) has been proposed as an alternative measure to BMI due to its focus on central weight distribution and its basic threshold for increased cardiometabolic risk. This study aimed to compare prevalence of overweight including obesity using BMI and WHt, and assess 10-year trends of WHt prevalence, in a representative sample of Irish children. Children measured during rounds 2-5 of the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (n=20037) were classified as healthy weight or overweight including obesity (International Obesity Task Force age and sex BMI cut-offs), and low or high WHt (WHt≥0.5). Differences in prevalence of BMI and WHt classifications were determined for round five in younger (<9years) and older (≥9years) children. The prevalence of high WHt was assessed across rounds. Differences in prevalence between overweight including obesity and high WHt were apparent in younger (BMI: 16.7%, WHt: 8.9%; p<.001) and older (BMI: 21.3%, WHt: 12.1%; p<.001) children. An inverse trend for prevalence of high WHt was identified across rounds (p<.001). BMI overestimates overweight including obesity prevalence compared to WHt. Given its ease of use, consideration of the WHt as an additional measure in childhood surveillance and screening is warranted.

Associations between body mass index, waist circumference, waist circumference to-height ratio, and hypertension in an Algerian adult population.

The aim of our study was to analyze the associations between anthropometric measures and high blood pressure (HBP) in Algerian patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 785 adults with normal BMI (248), overweight (253), and obese (284), who were assessed with measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, height, and waist circumference (WC). Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. We released receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for each anthropometric parameter to assess its discriminant power predictive of HBP in patients. Obese had a higher mean weight, WC, WHtR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting glucose (FG), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) than overweight and normal weight. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was higher in obese than overweight and normal weight. Results showed that obesity increased the risk of hypertension by a factor of 1.54 (95% CI [1.15, 2.06], (p = 0.004). Pearson's correlation data analysis showed that there was no relationship between systolic blood pressure and anthropometric parameters (BMI, WC, and WHtR). Only DBP was negatively associated with WHtR in the overweight group. All these parameters had areas under the curve between 0.409 and 0.618.The cutoff value of anthropometric WHtR parameters associated with the risk of hypertension was higher among women than men regardless of the BMI group considered. Contrary to the data of the literature, the discriminating power of anthropometry in the prediction of the HBP is limited or absent whatever the value of the BMI.

Beyond Asian-Specific Cutoffs: Gender Effects on the Predictability of Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Waist Circumference to Height Ratio on Hemoglobin A1c.

This study examines the gender effect on the associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) when Asian-specific cutoffs are applied among Asians living in the USA. This study used the pooled 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to produce a sample of 900 Asians who were non-pregnant and non-Hispanic aged 20-65. Bivariate and general linear regression analyses were conducted based on gender and age group. The group variations of BMI, WC, and WHtR all exhibited different patterns between males and females. Among the bivariate correlations with HbA1c, WHtR was the strongest in males and WC was the strongest in females. All three measures performed better in predicting HbA1c among younger Asians. WC predicted more of the variance in HbA1c among females, whereas WHtR predicted more of the variance in HbA1c among males. WC and WHtR are two anthropometric measures that serve as appropriate proxy of HbA1c for gauging the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among Asians living in the USA. They can be easily performed at non-clinical settings and should be used by individuals to monitor their health and be a part of disease prevention.

Cross Sectional Study among Intraocular Pressure, Mean Arterial Blood Pressure, and Serum Testosterone according to the Anthropometric Obesity Indices in Korean Men.

PurposeTo investigate the association between intraocular pressure (IOP) and serum testosterone according to the severity of obesity.Materials and MethodsWe investigated the correlation of IOP-testosterone according to the anthropometric obesity indices, such as obesity index (OI), body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference to height ratio (WtHR). Each of the obesity indices was classified into three groups: normal, overweight, and obesity. In additional, the association of IOP-testosterone was compared between testosterone 3.0 ng/mL below and above.ResultsTotal of 3,949 participants, the mean age was 58.86±10.06 years, mean IOP was 14.40±2.61 mmHg, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was 93.67±11.47 mmHg, and mean serum testosterone was 4.21±1.83 ng/mL. The association of MAP and IOP was significantly positively correlated according to the severity of obesity, but testosterone showed a significant negative relationship (p<0.05). IOP was significantly correlated with OI and BMI, but MAP and testosterone were correlated with all anthropometric obesity indices (p<0.05). The relationship of IOP and testosterone was significantly associated with only normal groups according to the degree of obesity (p<0.05). The IOP in patients with testosterone above 3.0 ng/mL was significantly higher than testosterone below 3.0 ng/mL (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe correlation of IOP-testosterone has a significantly positive relationship, in case of healthy men with normal weight by OI or BMI.

Tri-Ponderal Mass Index: A Screening Tool for Risk of Central Fat Accumulation in Brazilian Preschool Children.

Background and Objectives: To verify the use of the tri-ponderalmass index (TMI) as a screening tool for risk of central fat accumulation in preschool children. Materials and Methods: An observational, analytical study was carried out on samples from children 2 to 5 years of age. The body mass index (BMI) and the tri-ponderalmass index (TMI: Weight/height3) were calculated. The waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) was used to classify central fat accumulation risk. Preschoolers whose WHtRwas in the upper tertile of the sample were classified as at risk for central fat accumulation. A comparison of the two indicators (BMI and TMI) was made from the area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) in the discrimination of the WHtR. Results: The sample used for analysis was 919 preschoolers. The mean age of the children was 3.9 years (SD = 0.7). The difference in AUC was 5% higher for TMI (p < 0.0001). In the individual analysis of the ROC curve of the TMI, favoring a higher sensitivity, the cutoff point of 14.0 kg/m3 showed a sensitivity of 99.3% (95% CI: 97.6–99.9). Conclusion: Considering WHtR as a marker of possible future metabolic risk among preschool children, TMI proved to be a useful tool, superior to BMI, in screening for risk of central fat accumulation in preschool children.

Central Obesity Is a Predictor of Stress Hyperglycemia in Critically Ill Geriatric Trauma Patients (P21-051-19)

Abstract Objectives In the elderly population, hyperglycemia is associated with increased rates of infections, length of hospital stay (LOS) and mortality. However, there is a lack of informative studies addressing the drivers of hyperglycemia. We hypothesized that central obesity has an effect on hyperglycemia. Therefore, our objective is to investigate whether central obesity predicts hyperglycemia within the first 48 hours of admission in elderly trauma patients admitted to the ICU. Methods Our trauma registry was queried for all trauma patients aged 65 and older from 2012 to 2018 with an intensive care unit (ICU) LOS of at least 3 days. CT scan images were reviewed for visceral fat area, waist circumference to height ratio (WCHR), waist circumference to hip ratio (WHR) and the presence of sarcopenia, which has been implicated in adverse outcomes of trauma, in the presence or absence of obesity. Results Of 320 elderly patients, 7% developed infections, 3% developed stroke, 52% had an increased ICU LOS &gt;6 days, and 48% had an increased total hospital LOS &gt;14 d. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 26%, increased visceral fat area &gt;200 cm2 was 87%, WCHR &gt;0.65 was 25%, and WHR &gt;1 was 54% All of these factors except sarcopenia were significant predictors of hyperglycemia &gt;140 mg/dL (OR: 4.0, 95% CI: 2.53–6.46), (OR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.47–4.16) and (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.93–4.9) respectively. A total of 143 patients (45%) had an average glucose &gt;140 mg/dL within the first 48 hours after admission and this was independently associated with infections (OR: 2.64, 95% CI: 1.06–7.13), stroke (OR: 5.88, 95% CI: 1.48–38.96), increased ICU LOS (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.20–2.94) and increased hospital LOS (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02–2.48). Conclusions Central obesity independently predicts hyperglycemia in geriatric trauma patients. The influence of metabolic stressors related to adiposity may drive elevated glucose levels and could represent a novel target for future outcomes studies in geriatric critical illness Funding Sources None.

Serum IL-1 Receptor Antagonist Concentrations Associate With Unfavorable Metabolic Features in 12-Year-Old Children.

ContextElevated IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) concentrations are associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adults.ObjectiveTo determine if serum IL-1Ra and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels are associated with markers of reduced insulin sensitivity (IS) and serum lipids in 12-year-old children.Design and ParticipantsOf 191 children (n = 109 girls), 78 were categorized as having had birth weight and length appropriate for gestational age (AGA), 69 were small for gestational age, and 44 were AGA and from preeclamptic pregnancies. Serum markers of low-grade inflammation, IS, and lipids were measured. Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) was calculated.ResultsMean serum IL-1Ra levels did not differ between the sexes or among the gestational categories. Children in the highest IL-1Ra tertile had lower QUICKI, IGF-binding protein-1, SHBG, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values; and higher body mass index (BMI), waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR), and serum insulin, hs-CRP, leptin, and triglyceride concentrations than those in the lowest IL-1Ra tertile. Logistic regression analysis showed higher serum hs-CRP and leptin levels, and WHtR were associated with high serum IL-1Ra levels. IL-1Ra concentration could be used to discriminate the children with lowest IS (area under the curve, 0.68; P < 0.001); hs-CRP level could not.ConclusionChildren with the highest IL-1Ra levels had lower IS, higher hs-CRP levels and BMI, and a less favorable lipid profile than those with the lowest IL-1Ra levels, suggesting that high IL-1Ra concentrations may be associated with increased CVD risk in 12-year-old children.

Anthropometric features as predictors of atherogenic dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk in a large population of school-aged children.

BackgroundAutopsy studies reveal that atherosclerosis lesions can be found as early as two years of age. To slow the development of this early pathology, obesity and dyslipidemia prevention should start from childhood making it urgent to explore new ways to evaluate dyslipidemia risk in children that can be applied widely, such as the non-invasive anthropometric evaluation.ObjectiveAssess the metabolic profile of a pediatric population at a specific age to describe the association between anthropometric and biochemical cardiovascular disease risk factors; and evaluate selected anthropometric variables as potential predictors for dyslipidemic cardiovascular risk.Design and methodsAnthropometric features, bioimpedance parameters and fasting clinical profile were assessed in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley region pre-pubertal nine-year-old children (n = 1.496) from 2009–2013 in a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Anthropometric variables predictive power was evaluated through regression analysis.ResultsAt least one abnormal lipid parameter was found in 65% of “normal weight”, 73% of “overweight” and 81% of “obese” children according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards. Dyslipidemia was present in 67.8% of children. Waist-hip ratio (WHR) explained 0.4% of total cholesterol (TC) variance. Waist circumference (WC) explained 2.8% of apolipoprotein (APO) A1 variance. Waist-circumference-to-height-ratio (WHtR) explained 2.7%, 2.8% and 1.9% of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), APO B, and N_HDL-c variance, respectively. Children with abnormally high WHR levels had an increase in risk of 4.49, 3.40 and 5.30 times, respectively, for developing cardiovascular disease risk factors measured as high-risk levels of TC, LDL-c and non-HDL-c (N_HDL-c) (p<0.05). Only 29.9% of “normal weight” children had no anthropometric, bioimpedance or biochemical parameters associated with CV risk.ConclusionA large proportion of school age children have at least one lipid profile abnormality. BMI, zBMI, calf circumference (CC), hip circumference (HC), WC, and WHR are directly associated with dyslipidemia, whereas HC and calf circumference (CC) adjusted to WC, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), are all inversely associated with dyslipidemia. Selected anthropometric variables are likely to help predict increased odds of having CV risk factors.

Correspondence between waist-to-height ratio and body mass index in juniors

Despite the increase in body mass through childhood and adolescence is countered by the increase in height in the Body Mass Index (BMI), this measure is inadequate for judging the degree of excess weight among the young. Unlike using clearly defined cut points, same for any stage of adulthood, it is required to consult BMI-for-age charts, which can be a demanding exercise when data analysis is involved. The waist circumference to height ratio (WCHR) was hypothesised to be invariant to age change, and this is generally supported by the epidemiological evidence. This paper analyses a sample of NHANES data to find a connection between BMI, WCHR and Age. A strong linearity between the anthropometric measures is demonstrated, thus enabling estimation of WCHR for a given BMI and Age. The pattern of change of this parameter at BMI levels that indicate the transition to overweight state or obesity thus becomes unravelled. The results strongly support the feasibility of a universal WCHR threshold for the overweight state past early childhood and through adolescence, and the estimated one is similar to the WCHR levels found elsewhere in the literature.

Erratum to: Risk of breast, endometrial, colorectal, and renal cancers in postmenopausal women in association with a body shape index and other anthropometric measures.

A body shape index (ABSI) has been proposed as a possible improvement over waist circumference (WC) as a marker of abdominal adiposity because it removes the correlation of WC with body mass index (BMI) and with height. We assessed the association of ABSI with four obesity-related cancers compared to that of other anthropometric measures of adiposity. We used data from the Women’s Health Initiative, a large cohort of postmenopausal women, recruited between 1993 and 1998 and followed until September 2013, to assess the associations of ABSI and other anthropometric measures with risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, colorectum, and kidney. The four comparison anthropometric measures were BMI, WC, waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist-hip ratio (WHR). Over a median of 12.7 years of follow-up, among 143,901 women, we identified 7,039 invasive breast cancers, 1,157 endometrial cancers, 1,908 colorectal cancers, and 376 kidney cancers. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association of quintiles of the five measures with risk of the four cancers. Unlike the other anthropometric indices, ABSI was not associated with increased risk of breast or endometrial cancer. BMI and WC were comparable as predictors of breast and endometrial cancer, and these associations were unchanged after mutual adjustment. For colorectal and kidney cancers, ABSI was a significant predictor comparable to BMI; however, WC showed the strongest association with colorectal cancer, and WC, WHtR, and WHR all showed stronger associations with kidney cancer. In contrast to other anthropometric measures, ABSI showed no association with risk of breast or endometrial cancer and was more weakly associated with risk of colorectal and kidney cancers compared to more established measures of central adiposity.

Indexing adult obesity by waist-to-height and weight-to-height ratios

To date a vast evidence exists that the waist circumference to height ratio (WCHR) provides a better measure of obesity comparing to the body mass index (BMI). While weight and height are routinely obtained to calculate BMI, waist circumference, despite easily acquired, is often overlooked because the screening protocols, particularly for diabetes, demand BMI. This creates an obstacle for application of WCHR - a more definite measure than BMI for diagnostic of many linked to obesity metabolic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. This article is intended to fill the gap in the literature by providing a conversion from BMI to WCHR for five adult age categories. A strong linearity between the measures is demonstrated and equivalent to BMI WCHR thresholds are provided to identify normality, overweight as well as obesity and other points. The analysis is based on the data from NHANES. Different forms of BMI are also discussed and a strong linearity between them is demonstrated. An obesity index based on simple weight to height ratio to match the standard levels is proposed. The equivalence between the proposed and existing obesity indices is tested on the original data with promising results.

Association of body composition assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis with metabolic risk factor clustering among middle-aged Chinese

Body composition monitor (BCM) based on the bioelectric impedance analysis is very convenient to use. However, whether percentage body fat (PBF) and visceral fat index (VFI) that acquired by BCM are superior to anthropometric measures is unknown. The study explored whether PBF and VFI are better than anthropometric indexes [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist circumference to height ratio(WHtR)] in predicating metabolic risk factor clustering in a representive sample across China which included 9574 Chinese men and women that were investigated in 2009–2010. PBF and VFI were compared with the BMI, WC, and WHtR through the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression. The results showed that the AUC for VFI was higher than BMI and PBF but lower than WHtR and WC in both men and Women. The AUC for WHtR, WC, VFI, BMI and PBF was 0.710, 0.706, 0.700, 0.693, 0.656 in men and 0.705, 0.699, 0.698, 0.675, 0.657 in women, respectively. After adjusting for the potential confounding factors, the odds ratios (ORs) tended to increase with all the indexes. The curve of ORs for WHtR was steepest and the curve for PBF was flattest in both men and women; the curve for VFI was similar to WC in women, but flatter than WC in men. From the data we concluded that VFI seems better than BMI and PBF, but not superior to WC and WHtR in predicating metabolic risk factor clustering in the middle-aged Chinese.

Comparison of body mass index, waist circumference, and waist to height ratio in the prediction of hypertension and diabetes mellitus: Filipino-American women cardiovascular study.

The relative ability of three obesity indices to predict hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM) and the validity of using Asian-specific thresholds of these indices were examined in Filipino-American women (FAW). Filipino-American women (n = 382), 40–65 years of age were screened for hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM) in four major US cities. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) were measured. ROC analyses determined that the three obesity measurements were similar in predicting HTN and DM (AUC: 0.6–0.7). The universal WC threshold of ≥ 35 in. missed 13% of the hypertensive patients and 12% of the diabetic patients. The Asian WC threshold of ≥ 31.5 in. increased detection of HTN and DM but with a high rate of false positives. The traditional BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 threshold missed 35% of those with hypertension and 24% of those with diabetes. The Asian BMI threshold improved detection but resulted in a high rate of false positives. The suggested WHtR cut-off of ≥ 0.5 missed only 1% of those with HTN and 0% of those with DM. The three obesity measurements had similar but modest ability to predict HTN and DM in FAW. Using Asian-specific thresholds increased accuracy but with a high rate of false positives. Whether FAW, especially at older ages, should be encouraged to reach these lower thresholds needs further investigation because of the high false positive rates.