The influences of height and age on waist circumference as an index of adiposity in adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the in¯uences of height and age on the differences in waist circumference between individuals of different stature. SUBJECTS: 3319 males and 4358 females from four studies in the UK and the Netherlands. MEASUREMENTS: Waist circumference, body weight, height, and age. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis of log 10 height as the independent variable on log 10 waist as the dependent variable was used to determine the optimal index powers (OIP) ( p ) to minimize the in¯uence of height in the relationships of waist/height p . Six out of eight samples of men and women had OIP of height not signi®cantly different from zero, with the remaining two groups had OIP between 0.15±0.58, indicating that height had very limited in¯uence on the differences in waist circumference measurement between individuals. Age adjustment increased the relationship between waist and height, with OIP of 0.19±0.89 in men and 0.02±0.58 in women. Without age adjustment, height explained 0.3±3.5% and 0.1±2.5% variance in waist in men and in women respectively, and the corresponding variances were 0.4±7.5% in men and 0.0±2.6% in women with age adjustment. A similar analysis of weight and height showed the OIP of height in weight/height p ratio ranged from 1.32±2.25 in men, and 0.87±1.74 in women without age adjustment, and from 1.47±2.24 in men and 1.25±1.96 in women with age adjustment. CONCLUSION: Height and age had limited in¯uences on the differences in waist between Caucasian subjects of different stature. Waist alone may be used to indicate adiposity or to re¯ect metabolic risk factors. In contrast, the in¯uence of height on body weight is important.

Associação de diferentes medidas e índices antropométricos com a carga aterosclerótica coronariana

“…Although WC and AbC measures are directly related to the amount of intra-abdominal adipose tissue 24,25 and have been associated in several studies to cardiovascular risk factors 5,6 and clinical manifestations of heart disease such as infarction 3 , the present study did not find a correlation with increased coronary atherosclerotic burden.…”

Predicting intra-abdominal fatness from anthropometric measures: the influence of stature

“…We have previously demonstrated a lack of association between height and waist circumference. 6,20 Changes in waist circumference have been shown to correlate (P`0.05) with changes in intraabdominal fat (r 0.81), 21 and changes in a variety of cardiovascular risk factors including total cholesterol (r 0.31), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (r 0.35) and blood pressure (r 0.26) in women. 22 Changes in waist to hip ratio were not related to changes in either intra-abdominal fat 20 or changes in cardiovascular risk factors.…”

“…6,20 Changes in waist circumference have been shown to correlate (P`0.05) with changes in intraabdominal fat (r 0.81), 21 and changes in a variety of cardiovascular risk factors including total cholesterol (r 0.31), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (r 0.35) and blood pressure (r 0.26) in women. 22 Changes in waist to hip ratio were not related to changes in either intra-abdominal fat 20 or changes in cardiovascular risk factors. 21 Suggestions that a`waist to height ratio' should be used in health promotion have been made, based on a study of single computerised tomography image just above the iliac crest (L4-L5) in a mixed group of 16 men and 31 women.…”

Time trends (1993–1997) and seasonal variation in body mass index and waist circumference in the Netherlands

“…It was earlier concluded from the same MORGEN study that body height had only small effect on waist circumference. 24 Body height is associated with educational category. 25 As educational level increased during the monitoring period with decreasing participation rates, 11,26 it could be questioned whether adjustment for body height in the present crosssectional study was appropriate.…”