scholarly journals Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in Han Chinese children living in Chongqing, south-west China

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Xiong ◽  
Sarah P Garnett ◽  
Chris T Cowell ◽  
Cornelis Biesheuvel ◽  
Yan Zeng ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo derive age- and sex-specific reference values for waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for Han Chinese children and adolescents and to establish the prevalence of excess central adiposity in our study population.DesignCross-sectional study of schoolchildren attending randomly selected primary and secondary schools in south-west China in October 2003 and April 2004. Anthropometry was measured using standard procedures. The LMS method was used to construct smoothed WC and WHtR percentile curves. Overweight and obesity were defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria and the Working Group on Obesity in Children. Excess central adiposity fat was defined by previously published WC cut-points and a WHtR ≥ 0·5.SettingPrimary and secondary schools in Chongqing, south-west China.SubjectsA total of 7326 (49·2 % boys) Han Chinese students at 5–17 years old.ResultsOn the basis of the IOTF criteria, 26·4 % of boys were overweight or obese compared with 16·4 % of girls (P < 0·001). WC cut-points identified 31 % of boys and 28 % of girls as having excess central adiposity, whereas using the WHtR criterion, 14·8 % of boys and 5·6 % of girls were identified. Young boys (5–12 years) had a significantly (P < 0·001) higher WHtR than girls.ConclusionsWe have constructed WC and WHtR percentile curves for Han Chinese children and adolescents living in Chongqing. Our measurements were based on a student population with a relatively high rate of overweight and obesity. These data will provide a point of reference for future studies measuring the prevalence of overweight and obesity in China.

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.


Author(s):  
Shujing Ma ◽  
Dongqing Hou ◽  
Yanqing Zhang ◽  
Liu Yang ◽  
Jiahong Sun ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesThe prevalence of general overweight and obesity defined by body mass index criteria has greatly increased in Chinese children and adolescents in recent decades. However, few studies have considered the trend in abdominal obesity in Chinese children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine the secular trends in waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and the prevalence of abdominal obesity among Chinese children and adolescents aged 6–17 years from 1993 to 2015.MethodsA total of 11,985 children and adolescents aged 6–17 years participated in the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a continuous cross-sectional survey, conducted from 1993 to 2015. Abdominal obesity was defined as WC≥age- and sex-specific 90th percentile based on the reference from Chinese children and adolescents or WHtR≥0.50.ResultsAfter adjustment for age, sex and region, mean WC increased from 60.27 cm in 1993 to 64.31 cm in 2015 (p for trend <0.001), and mean WHtR increased from 0.430 to 0.434 (p for trend <0.05). The prevalence of abdominal obesity defined by WC reference increased from 5.0% in 1993 to 19.3% in 2015 and defined by WHtR reference increased from 6.4% in 1993 to 14.5% in 2015 (p for trend <0.001).ConclusionsThe prevalence of abdominal obesity among Chinese children and adolescents aged 6–17 years has increased between 1993 and 2015.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 983-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asif ◽  
Muhammad Aslam ◽  
Saima Altaf ◽  
Sajid Mustafa

AbstractObjectivesChildren from different countries and with different ethnic backgrounds have a distinct pattern of central fat deposition. Therefore, it is essential to develop population-specific percentiles of waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-height ratio exponent (WHtR (exp)) for the evaluation of central obesity. The objective of this study was to develop age-and-gender-specific smoothed WC and WHtR percentile curves for the Pakistani children and adolescents aged 2–18 years.MethodsA cross-sectional data-set from a multi-ethnic anthropometric survey was considered. A sample of 10,668 healthy subjects (boys = 51.92%; and girls = 48.08%), aged 2–18 years was studied. Height (cm) and WC (cm) of each subject was measured under standard procedure and WHtR & WHtR (exp) were calculated. Age-and-gender-specific smoothed curves were obtained using the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method and compared with percentile curves obtained from different countries.ResultsExcept few early ages, the WC values increased with age in both sexes. Both boys and girls had approximately similar WC during 6–11 years of age and after age of 11, the boys had larger WC than the girls had. For WHtR, the centile curves showed a continuous decrease by 16 years of age and then increased gradually. WHtR of the girls in various ages were having similar or higher than those of the boys. In comparison of WC 50th and 90th percentiles with other countries, it was found that except few ages, the Pakistani children had larger WC than the other reference populations and the results of WHtR were also comparable to the other nations.ConclusionsWe present new reference data of WC, WHtR and WHtR (exp) using a representative sample of the Pakistani children aged 2–18 years. These reference values can be used provisionally for early detection of central obesity and its associated risks in the Pakistani children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (22) ◽  
pp. 1321-1331
Author(s):  
Peijie Chen ◽  
Dengfeng Wang ◽  
Hongbing Shen ◽  
Lijuan Yu ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
...  

China is experiencing significant public health challenges related to social and demographic transitions and lifestyle transformations following unprecedented economic reforms four decades ago. Of particular public health concern is the fourfold increase in overweight and obesity rates in the nation’s youth population, coupled with the low prevalence of adolescents meeting recommended levels of physical activity. Improving the overall health of China’s more than 170 million children and adolescents has become a national priority. However, advancing nationwide health initiatives and physical activity promotion in this population has been hampered by the lack of a population-specific and culturally relevant consensus on recommendations for achieving these ends. To address this deficiency and inform policies to achieve Healthy China 2030 goals, a panel of Chinese experts, complemented by international professionals, developed this consensus statement. The consensus was achieved through an iterative process that began with a literature search from electronic databases; in-depth reviews, conducted by a steering committee, of the resulting articles; and panel group evaluations and discussions in the form of email correspondence, conference calls and written communications. Ultimately, the panel agreed on 10 major themes with strong scientific evidence that, in children and adolescents aged 6–17, participating in moderate to vigorous physical activities led to multiple positive health outcomes. Our consensus statement also (1) highlights major challenges in promoting physical activity, (2) identifies future research that addresses current knowledge gaps, and (3) provides recommendations for teachers, education experts, parents and policymakers for promoting physical activity among Chinese school-aged children and adolescents. This consensus statement aligns with international efforts to develop global physical activity guidelines to promote physical activity and health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases in children and adolescents. More importantly, it provides a foundation for developing culturally appropriate and effective physical activity interventions, health promotion strategies and policy initiatives to improve the health of Chinese children and adolescents.


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.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. 95-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A Clifford ◽  
Alanna N Gillespie ◽  
Timothy Olds ◽  
Anneke C Grobler ◽  
Melissa Wake

ObjectivesOverweight and obesity remain at historically high levels, cluster within families and are established risk factors for multiple diseases. We describe the epidemiology and cross-generational concordance of body composition among Australian children aged 11–12 years and their parents.DesignThe population-based cross-sectional Child Health CheckPoint study, nested within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).SettingAssessment centres in seven major Australian cities and eight regional cities, or home visits; February 2015–March 2016.ParticipantsOf all participating CheckPoint families (n=1874), body composition data were available for 1872 children (49% girls) and 1852 parents (mean age 43.7 years; 88% mothers), including 1830 biological parent-child pairs.MeasuresHeight, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio for all participants; body fat and fat-free mass by four-limb bioimpedence analysis (BIA) at assessment centres, or body fat percentage by two-limb BIA at home visits. Analysis: parent-child concordance was assessed using (i) Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and (ii) partial correlation coefficients adjusted for age, sex and socioeconomic disadvantage. Survey weights and methods accounted for LSAC’s complex sample design.Results20.7% of children were overweight and 6.2% obese, as were 33.5% and 31.6% of parents. Boys and girls showed similar distributions for all body composition measures but, despite similar BMI and waist-to-height ratio, mothers had higher proportions of total and truncal fat than fathers. Parent-child partial correlations were greatest for height (0.37, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.42). Other anthropometric and fat/lean measures showed strikingly similar partial correlations, ranging from 0.25 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.29) for waist circumference to 0.30 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.34) for fat-free percentage. Whole-sample and sex-specific percentile values are provided for all measures.ConclusionsExcess adiposity remains prevalent in Australian children and parents. Moderate cross-generational concordance across all measures of leanness and adiposity is already evident by late childhood.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smita Nambiar ◽  
Helen Truby ◽  
Ian Hughes ◽  
Peter SW Davies

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate which anthropometric measure of overweight status, BMI or waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), is most closely associated with parents’ perception of their child's overweight status.DesignThe sensitivity and specificity of parental perception against child-specific BMI and WHtR definitions of overweight were tested.SettingPrimary schools in Queensland, Australia.SubjectsBoys and girls aged 9·00–11·99 years (n 1431).ResultsOf the 138 boys and 202 girls who were classified as overweight according to BMI, only 27·5 % (boys) and 22·7 % (girls) were also perceived as overweight by their parents. Using WHtR, 206 boys and 333 girls were classified as overweight, of whom only 21·9 % and 13·8 %, respectively, were perceived as overweight. Perception of overweight was underestimated in approximately 15 % of boys and 21 % of girls when compared with BMI. Underestimation was higher when compared with WHtR: 25 % (boys) and 39 % (girls). Overweight prevalence was significantly lower according to perception than according to BMI or WHtR. Mother's education level was significantly associated with accurate perception of overweight status (P < 0·001).ConclusionsThe sensitivity of parental perception of child overweight was higher when BMI was used. However, emphasis needs to be placed on using WHtR as an actual measure of overweight because high central adiposity is associated with increased risk of CVD. The combined use of WHtR, body-shape images rather than word responses regarding perception and public health messages that educate parents and children about body shape and associated health risks may be the best combination in improving parents’ perception of their child's overweight status.


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