title: Waist circumference correlates better with body mass index than waist-to-hip ratio in Asian Indians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Waist circumference has been reported to be a better index of android (abdominal) obesity than waist-to-hip ratio. It is likely that the cut-off values that denote medical risk in the Caucasian population cannot be extrapolated to Asian Indians.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements were taken in 285 subjects (207 men, mean age 37 years, range 18-76 years; and 78 women, mean age 31.5 years, range 18-69 years). The subjects comprised patients under psychiatric care as well as normal individuals. The correlation of waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio with body mass Index was studied. The prevalence of abdominal obesity using waist circumference was compared to the prevalence of abdominal obesity using waist-to-hip ratio. (Both the standard and the new recommended cut-offs for Asians were used.)
  
  
  RESULTS
  Waist circumference correlated better with body mass index than waist-to-hip ratio (in men r = 0.821 and 0.341, and in women r = 0.729 and 0.113; p < or = 0.01 ). Forty-seven per cent of overweight men and 73% of overweight women had abdominal obesity as defined by the standard waist circumference cut-offs compared to none of the men and 47% of overweight women using the waist-to-hip ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Waist circumference correlates better with body mass index than waist-to-hip ratio. The prevalence of abdominal obesity using waist circumference is higher than that with waist-to-hip ratio. This is especially so in Asian Indians as the new recommendations of both body mass index and waist circumference cut-offs to detect subjects at medical risk are lower in them than in Caucasians.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, St John's Medical College Hospital, Sarjapura Road, Bangalore 560034, India. sunita.simon@divnut.net
authors: Sunita Simon
authors: SS
authors: Kurpad
authors: Himanshu
authors: H
authors: Tandon
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Srinivasan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*