Research
A simple valid tool for measuring obesity-related-CHD risk in Sri Lankan adults
Authors:
Carukshi Arambepola ,
Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK; Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, LK
Dulitha Fernando,
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, LK
Ruvan Ekanayake
Coronary Care Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo 8, LK
Abstract
Background: The significance of anthropometric measures of obesity that determine coronary-heart-disease (CHD) risk varies among populations. This study compares waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) in identifying the ‘‘obesity-related-CHD risk’’ among Sri Lankan adults.
Methods: A population-based cross-section of 515 adults aged 20–64 years, residing in the district of Colombo in 2004 was selected by a multi-stage, stratified, probability sampling method. WC, height and weight were measured. Demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics, smoking and obesity-related-CHD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes) were assessed by questionnaires, physical measurements and biochemical assessments. ‘‘Obesity-related CHD risk’’ was defined by the presence of ⩾1 obesity-related-CHD risk factors.
Results: Compared to BMI, WC was a stronger correlate of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides among both sexes and of plasma glucose among males. It was also an independent predictor of obesity-related-CHD risk in both males (beta co-efficient = 0.046; standard error = 0.013) and females (0.024; 0.012) in contrast to BMI, which was significant only among males (0.138; 0.037) in the logistic regression models adjusted for confounders. At the same level of obesity-related-CHD risk corresponding with BMI of 25 kg/m2 (OR = 1.7) and 30 kg/m2 (OR = 3.5), the corresponding WC values were 90.5 cm and 105.5 cm for males and 100 cm and 129 cm for females. The derived optimal risk thresholds of WC for identifying obesity-related- CHD risk was 88.5 cm for males and 82 cm for females.
Conclusions: WC with its sex-specific cutoff values can serve as a better screening tool than BMI in identifying individuals at risk of obesity-related CHD in low-resource settings.
Published on
01 Jan 2008.
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