title: Cut-off values of visceral fat area and waist-to-height ratio: diagnostic criteria for obesity-related disorders in Korean children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to study the appropriate cut-off value of visceral fat area (VFA) and waist-to-height ratio (WTHR) which increase the risk of obesity-related disorders and to validate the diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome in Korean children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total 314 subjects (131 boys and 183 girls) were included in this study. The subjects were selected from Korean children and adolescents who visited three University hospitals in Seoul and Uijeongbu from January 1999 to December 2009. All patients underwent computed tomography to measure VFA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cut-off value of VFA associated with an increase risk of obesity-related disorder, according to the receiver operating characteristics curve, was 68.57 cm² (sensitivity 59.8%, specificity 76.6%, p=0.01) for age between 10 to 15 years, and 71.10 cm² (sensitivity 72.3%, specificity 76.5%, p<0.001) for age between 16 to 18 years. By simple regression analysis, the WTHR corresponding to a VFA of 68.57 cm² was 0.54 for boys and 0.61 for girls, and the WTHR corresponding to a VFA of 71.10 cm² was 0.51 for boys and 0.56 for girls (p=0.004 for boys, p<0.001 for girls).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of this study, VFA which increases the risk of obesity-related disorders was 68.57 cm² and the WTHR corresponding to this VFA was 0.54 for boys and 0.61 for girls age between 10-15 years, 71.70 cm² and the WTHR 0.51 for boys and 0.56 for girls age between 16-18 years. For appropriate diagnostic criteria of abdominal obesity and obesity-related disorders in Korean children and adolescents, further studies are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, Uijeongbu, Korea.
authors.forename: Kang-Kon
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye-Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Keun-Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference