Hip girth as a predictor of abdominal adiposity in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Our primary objective was to determine whether hip girth could accurately predict abdominal fat and total body fat in postmenopausal women. A secondary objective was to investigate the relation between body mass index (BMI) and hip girth in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Body weight, height, girths, skinfolds, and whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans were obtained in 75 postmenopausal women ages 45 to 76 y. Total body fat, abdominal fat, and the ratio of abdominal fat to lean mass (F:L) were calculated from the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans. Equations predicting total and abdominal fat were developed for 50 subjects by using stepwise multiple regression analysis. These equations were then cross-validated in the remaining 25 subjects.


RESULTS
Hip girth was a strong predictor of total fat (r = 0.86, P < 0.0001, standard error of the estimate = 4.9 kg) and abdominal fat (r = 0.92, P < 0.0001, standard error of estimate = 0.84 kg); with age added, the standard errors of the estimate were 3.8 and 0.8 kg, respectively. Hip girth correlated with BMI (r = 0.89, P < 0.0001). The "healthy" BMI cutoff value lower than 25 kg/m2 equated to a hip girth smaller than 100 cm and an abdominal F:L lower than 1.0. Waist girth (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001) and hip girth (r = 0.76, P < 0.0001) were good predictors of abdominal F:L.


CONCLUSIONS
Hip girth is a practical and useful predictor of abdominal and total adiposity in postmenopausal women. A hip girth of 100 cm or an abdominal F:L of 1.0 can be used as an equivalent cutoff value for the "healthy" BMI value of 25 kg/m2 in this group of women.
Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Cancer Care Centre, Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
Chand
C
Raja
Ross
R
Hansen
Rod
R
Baber
Barry
B
Allen
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012885:Skinfold Thickness