Waist circumference estimation from BMI in Japanese children

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Abstract

Waist circumference, not BMI, is one of the factors in the definition of metabolic syndrome in adults. In children, waist circumference is also a well known predictor of metabolic syndrome. However, waist circumference measurement is not as commonly recorded as weight and height measurements in physical examinations in schools. This means BMI data is available for every child, but waist circumference is not. Therefore, we investigated whether there is an alternative way to estimate waist circumference even in those children whose waist circumference measurement has not been taken. We evaluated the relationship between BMI and the waist circumference of schoolchildren using a relatively large-scale population-based cohort in Japan. There was a significant linear relationship between BMI and waist circumference noted in each age- and sex-divided group [9–10-year-old boys: waist = 13.99 + 2.63BMI (r = 0.940, p < 0.001), 9–10-year-old girls: waist = 15.09 + 2.61BMI (r = 0.933, p < 0.001), 12–13-year-old boys: waist = 23.67 + 2.22BMI (r = 0.880, p < 0.001), 12–13-year-old girls: waist = 23.83 + 2.15BMI (r = 0.859, p < 0.001)]. This means it is possible to estimate waist circumference from height and weight, at least among those age groups of children in Japan. This estimation could be an alternative way and useful in detecting childhood metabolic syndrome or obesity disease in which a waist circumference figure is necessary.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to all the study participants and their parents. The authors would also like to thank all the members of the Board of Education in Ina-town in Saitama Prefecture and the Ina-town Conference for the Promotion and Operation of Childhood Lifestyle-Related Diseases Prevention Examination (Chairman: Dr. Michio Sato). This study was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

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    By contrast, BMI is a simple anthropometric measure, routinely determined during children physical examination both at school and sport association. The significant linear correlation between WC and BMI values found in this study, in agreement with some data in the literature [18–20], suggests the possibility to indirectly estimate WC from height and weight, at least within selected groups, as are school aged Italian children and could provide an alternative and simple tool represented by BMI, in the clinical assessment of the risk of metabolic syndrome. Further investigations on different groups are needed to substantiate our results and to definitely attribute to BMI a predictive value in the clinical setting of the risk for the diagnosis of childhood obesity-related metabolic disorders.

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