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

Abstract

Objective: To 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. Design: Cross-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. Setting: Primary and secondary schools in Chongqing, south-west China. Subjects: A total of 7326 (49?2 % boys) Han Chinese students at 5-17 years old. Results: On 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. Conclusions: We 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.

Prevalence and lifestyle determinants of central obesity in children

“…Even though central obesity was mostly considered an adult burden in the past, nowadays its prevalence has proven to be particularly high among children as well, in both developed and developing countries [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. Moreover, despite the attention given to the epidemic of childhood obesity, WC has increased at a higher rate than total body weight over the past 10-30 years in children [54][55][56], suggesting a parallel increase in their cardiometabolic risk.…”

Predicting percentage body fat through waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) in Spanish schoolchildren

“…Furthermore, published standards reflect some ethnic variability, demonstrating the importance of choosing an appropriate reference, since the diagnosis can vary according to the reference applied (7)(8)(9) . On the contrary, the quotient between WC and height, also known as waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), eliminates the need to compare with percentile standards since it remains stable throughout growth (10) .…”

Novel noninvasive anthropometric measure in preterm and full-term infants: normative values for waist circumference:length ratio at birth

“…Normative WC values have been reported in children ≥2 y of age and in adolescents of various ethnicities (1,7,33,34). However, studies of WC in newborn infants are limited.…”

“…WC varies according to sex, age, and race (5). However, normalizing WC for length or height by calculating WLR or WHtR, respectively, eliminates age, sex, and racial/ethnic differences (3,6,31,32).Normative WC values have been reported in children ≥2 y of age and in adolescents of various ethnicities (1,7,33,34). However, studies of WC in newborn infants are limited.…”