Validity and reliability of the sagittal abdominal diameter as a predictor of visceral abdominal fat.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reliability of the sagittal abdominal diameter and its validity as a predictor of visceral abdominal fat, as well as to identify the most appropriate cut-off points to identify the area of visceral fat that is known to represent a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
Validation study.


METHODS
92 healthy volunteers (57 women, 35 men), age: 20-83 y, body mass index: 19.3 to 35.9 kg/m2.


METHODS
Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), weight, height, circumferences (waist, hip, and thigh), sub-scapular skinfold thickness, abdominal diameter index, and waist-hip ratio (WHR). METHOD OF CHOICE: Computed tomography (CT).


METHODS
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.


RESULTS
The reliability for SAD measurement was very high (Inter-class coefficient = 0.99). Visceral fat as measured by VAF through CT was highly correlated with SAD (women r = 0.80; men r = 0.64, p < 0.001), waist circumference (women r = 0.77; men r = 0.73, p < 0.001), and WHR (women r = 0.72; men r = 0.58, p < 0.001). The ROC curve indicated 19.3 cm and 20.5 cm as the threshold values for abdominal sagittal diameter in women and men (sensitivity 85% and 83%, specificity 77% and 82%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
There was a high correlation between SAD and VAF. The cut-off values identified for SAD presented a sensitivity and specificity that were considered adequate.
Sampaio
Lílian R
LR
Departamento Ciência da Nutrição, Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA. lramos@ufba.br
Simões
Eduardo J
EJ
Assis
Ana Marlúcia O
AM
Ramos
Luiz R
LR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001823:Body Composition; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult