title: Determining cut-off values for neck circumference as a measure of the metabolic syndrome amongst a South African cohort: the SABPA study.
abstract: The aim was to determine receiver operating characteristic (ROC) neck circumference (NC) cut offs best associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a South African cohort. We included 409 urban Africans and Caucasians and stratified them into gender and age groups (25-45 years; 45-65 years). Measurements included anthropometric, fasting overnight urine and biological markers for the MetS (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein). ROC analysis determined pathological (NC) cut-points of 39 and 35 cm for young and older African men; 32 and 35 cm for young and old African women; 40 and 41 cm for Caucasian men; 34 and 33 cm for Caucasian women. Pathological NC cut-points significantly predicted MetS in all ethnic-gender-age groups except in African women (ORs 2.3-5.4; 95% CI 1.36-16.5). Multiple regression analyses revealed that MetS prevalence and ROC cut-points were not associated with renal impairment in any groups. ROC NC cut-points demonstrated that NC may be used as an additional anthropometric marker to predict the MetS in a South African cohort but not in African women.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sport and Recreation (PhASRec), School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoebel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malan
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Ridder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D049628:Body Size / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People