Availability of waist circumference as a anthropometric index of abdominal obesity

Han, Jeong Mi; Yoo, Sun Mi; Cheong, Yoo Seock; Park, Eal Whan

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Obesity is a risk factor of hyperlipidemia, DM, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In clinical practice the evaluation of obesity has been done indirectly by anthropomet ric indices such as BMI, waist to hip ratio, waist and hip circumference. This study was attempted to show whether waist circumference is better simple anthropometric index of abdominal obesity and has better correlation of metabolic profile than waist to hip ratio which has been commonly used.
METHODS
We gathered 286 cases who have undergone medical examination from May 1997 to July 1997 at Dankook University Hospital and measured BMI, relative ideal body weight by Modified Broca method, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, metabolic profiles, fasting blood sugar, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
RESULTS
Waist to hip ratio and waist circumference showed high correlation with BMI and Modified Broca index. In men, correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with BMI was r=0.761, r=0.467, and correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with Modified Broca index was r=0.726, r=0.458. In women, correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with BMI was r=0.791, r=0.628, and correlation coeffience of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with Modified Broca index was r=0.769 r=0.660. This finding showed waist to hip ratio and waist circumference is more closely related to BMI and Modified Broca index in women than men and showed higher correlation with waist circumference than waist to hip ratio. There were significant differences of correlation coefficient of obesity indices between waist circumference and waist to hip ratio (p<0.00001). Waist circumference showed relatively significant correlation with metabolic profiles, but we could not observe high correlation coefficient. But there was significant difference of distribution between normal group and obese group defined as BMI>25 and modified Broca index>120%.
CONCLUSION
Waist circumference, index of abdominal obesity has better correlation with obesity indices than waist to hip ratio and is a simpler method.