Screening of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents in Shandong, China

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Ying-xiu Zhang ◽  
Jian Chen ◽  
Xiao-hui Liu

Abstract The prevalence of central obesity in total population has been reported in numerous studies. However, information on the prevalence of central obesity within normal category of body mass index (BMI) is scant. In the present study, we examined the profiles of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents. A total of 29 516 (14 226 boys and 15 290 girls) normal-weight children and adolescents (excluding underweight, overweight and obesity) aged 7–18 years were included in the final analysis. Central obesity was defined by the international age- and sex-specific cut-offs of waist circumference (WC) and threshold of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR≥0.5). All subjects were classified into four groups (Q1–Q4) according to the age- and sex-specific quartiles of BMI, those in the upper fourth (Q4) were defined as ‘high-normal BMI’, and those in the lower fourth (Q1) were defined as ‘low-normal BMI’. The prevalence of central obesity as measured by WC was 9.90% (95% CI 9.41–10.39%) for boys and 8.11% (95% CI 7.68–8.54%) for girls; by WHtR was 2.97% (95% CI 2.69–3.25%) for boys and 2.44% (95% CI 2.20–2.68%) for girls. Subjects in the ‘high-normal BMI’ group had a much higher prevalence of central obesity than their counterparts in the ‘low-normal BMI’ group (P<0.01). Central obesity was also evident among normal-weight children and adolescents. Our findings suggest that the health risks of children with normal-weight central obesity may be missed when BMI is used alone as a measure, it is meaningful to include WC in the clinical practice and to include the simple message “Keep your waist to less than half your height”.

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Morten Fredriksen ◽  
Angelica Skår ◽  
Asgeir Mamen

Aims: With overweight and obesity increasing worldwide, it has become ever more important to monitor the development and distribution of adiposity in children. This study investigated how the measurements of waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in children 6–12 years old relate to earlier studies. Methods: In 2015, 2271 children (boys, n = 1150) were measured for height, weight, and WC. Parental education level was used as a measure of socioeconomic status. Results: A significant increase in WC with age was revealed for both sexes ( p < .0001). Boys at 10 and 12 years had a larger WC than girls; otherwise no difference between sexes was found. The WHtR decreased with age for girls ( p < .0001); 14% of the sample displayed a WHtR ≥ 0.50. Comparison with earlier studies showed a higher WC and WHtR despite no change in weight and body mass index. Conclusion: WC and WHtR are recommended as tools for identifying central obesity in children. The results indicate increased WC in 6–12-year-old children compared with earlier findings.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Javier Albornoz-Guerrero ◽  
Rafael Zapata-Lamana ◽  
Daniel Reyes-Molina ◽  
Igor Cigarroa ◽  
Guillermo García Pérez de Sevilla ◽  
...  

Objective: To compare cardiovascular risk and cardiorespiratory capacity in schoolchildren from a region in the extreme south of Chile according to nutritional status and muscular strength. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 594 schoolchildren from 5th to 8th grade in the extreme south of Chile. Based on body mass index and lower limb muscle strength, participants were divided into four groups: high strength-normal weight, high strength-overweight/obese, low strength-normal weight, and low strength-overweight/obese. Then, waist-to-height ratio and cardiorespiratory capacity, measured with the 20 m shuttle run test, were assessed to determine their cardiovascular risk, comparing the four groups. Results: The overweight/obese group with high muscular strength presented better indicators in anthropometric variables (waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio) than their peers with low muscular strength. Additionally, the overweight/obese group with low muscular strength presented a lower cardiorespiratory capacity than their peers with high muscular strength. Both results were observed in boys and girls. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that overweight/obese schoolchildren with high muscle strength present healthier anthropometric indicators and greater cardiorespiratory capacity than their peers with low muscle strength. These results confirm the relevance of measuring muscle strength in schoolchildren and its usefulness to assess functionality. These results encourage the scientific community to continue studying the role that muscle strength plays in modulating the effects of overweight and obesity on respiratory and cardiovascular conditions in childhood.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Kyoung Cho ◽  
Hyojin Kim ◽  
Hyun Young Lee ◽  
Kyung Do Han ◽  
Yeon Jin Jeon ◽  
...  

Background. To evaluate insulin resistance of normal weight central obese 13–18-year-old male and female adolescents stratified by waist to height ratio (WHR).Methods. Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (K-NHANES) conducted during 2008–2010. Central obesity was defined as that in the upper quartile of age and sex specific WHR. Subjects were classified into no central obesity normal weight (NW), central obesity normal weight (CONW), no central obesity overweight (OW), and central obesity overweight (COOW).Results. The prevalence of CONW was 9.6% (83/832) in female and 7.0% (61/909) in male. CONW showed higher levels of insulin (P<0.006), HOMA-IR (P<0.006), and ALT (P<0.001) than NW in female. CONW had higher levels of insulin (P<0.0001), HOMA-IR (P<0.0001), and WBC count (P<0.021) and lower level of HDL (P<0.0001) than NW in male. WHR and BMI had similar significant correlations with MS components. CONW showed 2.5 times (95% confidence interval, 1.21–5.00) more likelihood to have high insulin resistance than NW in male.Conclusions. Screening for central obesity using WHR in clinical setting is recommended.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Rodrigues ◽  
Cristina Padez ◽  
Aristides M. Machado-Rodrigues

Introduction: Central adiposity in children has increased to a higher degree than general adiposity however it is not a routine measurement in clinical practice. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal fat distribution and observe the prevalence of abdominal obesity among non-obese 6-10-year-old children.Material and Methods: Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured in a sample of 793 children (408 girls). International Obesity Task Force cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.50. Chi-square tests were used to observe the prevalence of the obesity indicators among boys and girls, and the relation between International Obesity Task Force cut-offs and abdominal obesity.Results: The prevalence of overweight, including obesity among children was 21.9% (18.9 – 25.0), 6.1% (4.2 – 8.0) were obese and 21.9% (18.6 – 25.0) had a waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.50. Girls had significantly higher prevalence of overweight, including obesity compared to boys (χ2 = 4.59, p = 0.03), but no differences were found for abdominal obesity according to children’s gender (χ2 = 3.32, p = 0.07). A proportion of normal (8.2%; 5.9 – 10.6) and overweight children (59.5%; 50.9 – 69.0) were abdominally obese.Discussion: The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in children living in central Portugal is of concern. Many children with abdominal obesity would not be considered obese with the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points.Conclusion: A high proportion of abdominal obesity was observed in children with normal weight or overweight, suggesting that waist-to-height ratio should be included in routine clinical practice and might be particularly useful to assess the health status of the child.


2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1566-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smita Nambiar ◽  
Ian Hughes ◽  
Peter SW Davies

AbstractObjectiveThe waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) assesses abdominal adiposity and has been proposed to be of greater value in predicting obesity-related cardiovascular health risks in children than BMI. The present study aims to develop WHtR cut-offs for overweight and obesity based on the 85th and 95th percentiles for the percentage body fat (%BF) in a cohort of children and adolescents.DesignWaist circumference (WC), height, triceps and subscapular skinfolds were used to calculate WHtR and %BF. Correlations between WHtR and %BF and WHtR/mid-abdominal skinfold were made. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to select WHtR cut-offs to define overweight and obesity. Subjects were grouped by WHtR cut-offs, and mean values for anthropometry, blood lipids and blood pressure (BP) variables were compared.SettingAustralian primary and secondary schools.SubjectsA total of 2773 male (M) and female (F) subjects of the 1985 Australian Health and Fitness Survey, aged 8–16 years.ResultsCorrelation coefficients between WHtR and %BF were M:r= 0·73, F:r= 0·60,P< 0·01 and WHtR/mid-abdominal skinfold were M:r= 0·78, F:r= 0·65,P< 0·01. WHtR of 0·46(M) and 0·45(F) best identified subjects with ≥85th percentile for %BF and 0·48(M) and 0·47(F) identified subjects with ≥95th percentile for %BF. When comparing the highest WHtR group to the lowest, both sexes had significantly higher means for weight, WC, %BF, TG (male subjects only), systolic BP (female subjects only) and lower means for HDL cholesterol (P< 0·05).ConclusionsWHtR is useful in clinical and population health as it identifies children with higher %BF at greater risk of developing weight-related CVD at an earlier age.


2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. e1781-e1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Higgins ◽  
Arghavan Omidi ◽  
Houman Tahmasebi ◽  
Shervin Asgari ◽  
Kian Gordanifar ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence of pediatric obesity is increasing worldwide and strongly associates with metabolic abnormalities, including inflammation, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. This study assessed the influence of 3 measures of adiposity on levels of routinely assessed biochemical markers in apparently healthy children and adolescents. Methods The influence of adiposity on 35 biochemical markers was examined in the Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) cohort of healthy children and adolescents by comparing serum biomarker levels between subjects with a normal weight, overweight, and obese body mass index (BMI). The cohort comprised 1332 subjects 5.1 to 19.0 years of age with a BMI ranging from 13.4 to 65.0 kg/m2. The association between each biochemical marker and BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio z-scores was assessed, while adjusting for age and sex. Reference intervals were established for all biochemical markers before and after removing overweight/obese subjects. Results In children and adolescents, levels of 13 routinely assessed biochemical markers, including alanine aminotransferase, apolipoprotein B, complement components 3 and 4, cholinesterase, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, gamma-glutamyl transferase, haptoglobin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, iron, transferrin, triglycerides, and uric acid, were significantly different between BMI categories. BMI, waist circumference, and/or waist-to-height ratio were significantly associated with the serum concentration of 24 of the 35 markers examined, after adjusting for age and sex. Conclusions Excess adiposity significantly influences circulating levels of routinely assessed laboratory markers, most notably liver enzymes, lipids/lipoproteins, inflammatory markers, and uric acid in children and adolescents. Although it is unknown whether altered biochemical marker levels in subjects with overweight/obesity reflect health or indolent disease, clinicians should be aware of the effect of weight status on several laboratory tests.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-118
Author(s):  
Md Rizwanul Ahsan ◽  
Sabrina Makbul ◽  
Probir Kumar Sarkar

Background: Now a days unhealthy lifestyle primarily responsible for the dramatic increase obesity among children and adolescents. Objective: The purpose of the study is to see the effects of a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention to reduce obese children and adolescents. The main outcome was cardiometabolic risk based on the waist-to-height ratio (WHTR) measurement. Secondary outcomes were (1) changes in body composition; (2) adherence to a Mediterranean diet; and (3) physical performance. Methods: The study involved 64 overweight/obese children or adolescents conducted at Dhaka Shishu Hospital from October 2017 to September 2018. The intervention was multidisciplinary including nutrition, exercise, and psychological aspects based on a family-based approach; it was delivered for six months for children and three months for adolescents. Before and after the intervention, several anthropometric measures height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body composition, cardiometabolic risk index waist-to-height ratio (WHTR), and dietary habits of the participants and their families were evaluated. In addition, a set of functional motor fitness tests was performed to evaluate physical performance measures. Results: After the intervention both children and adolescents showed a significant reduction in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, and WHTR index and an improvement of fat-free mass, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and physical fitness performance. Conclusion: A short term family-based multidisciplinary approach is effective in ameliorating the health status, dietary habits, and physical performance in children and adolescents. DS (Child) H J 2019; 35(2) : 111-118


Author(s):  
Luisa Lampignano ◽  
Roberta Zupo ◽  
Rossella Donghia ◽  
Vito Guerra ◽  
Fabio Castellana ◽  
...  

Background: There is moderate-to-high evidence that the Mediterranean diet prevents increases in body weight and waist circumference in non-obese individuals but less is known about its effects in subjects with overweight and obesity. The present study was focused on exploring the cross-sectional association among the adherence to Mediterranean diet and the most commonly used variables of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of overweight subjects from a typical Mediterranean region, Apulia, in Southern Italy. Methods:: The study was performed in a cohort of 1214 individuals, all with overweight or obesity but no other clinical condition. We investigated the association among adherence to Mediterranean diet, assessed with the PREDIMED score, and anthropometric parameters [namely body mass index (BMI), WC, waist to height ratio (WHtR) and neck circumference (NC)], fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, uric acid and lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol), and blood pressure and insulin resistance, measured by HOMA-IR. Results:: The waist to height ratio was negatively associated to a PREDIMED score ≥7 (p<0.04), whereas HDL cholesterol was positively associated to a PREDIMED score ≥7 (p<0.04) Conclusion: This study suggests that body fat distribution and HDL-cholesterol are the parameters most strongly influenced by MedDiet in Apulian subjects.


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