A comparative study of methods for diagnosis of obesity in an urban mixed-race population in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Obesity is defined as an excess of total body fat and may be assessed by different methods. The objective of the present study was to establish the discriminatory power of anthropometric data in determining obesity.


METHODS
The subjects comprised 685 individuals, aged 20-79 years, sampled from a population-based survey. The following indicators were used: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and total body fat percentage estimated with both Siri's equation (%BF Siri) and foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (%BF BIA). Sensitivity and specificity of different cut-off points for each method were determined using %BF BIA as reference.


RESULTS
Of 685 participants, 57.6% were aged >/= 40 years, 69.9% were women and 72.6% self-referred themselves as non-white. To classify obesity based on sex and age among women aged 0.05). Classifying according to skin colour did not change cut-off points in any indicator.


CONCLUSIONS
BMI and WC better discriminate obesity among women and men aged >/= 40 years from a mixed-race population.
de Freitas
Silvia Nascimento
SN
Department of Social and Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition, Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), University Campus, Morro do Cruzeiro, CEP 35400/000 Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil. sinfreitas@yahoo.com.br
Caiaffa
Waleska Teixeira
WT
César
Cibele Comini
CC
Cândido
Ana Paula Carlos
AP
Faria
Valéria Andrade
VA
Neto
Raimundo Marques do Nascimento
RM
Machado-Coelho
George Luiz Lins
GL
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio