title: Appropriate body mass index and waist circumference cutoff for overweight and central obesity among adults in Cambodia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are used in risk assessment for the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. Within a Cambodian population, this study aimed to identify an appropriate BMI and WC cutoff to capture those individuals that are overweight and have an elevated risk of vascular disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We used nationally representative cross-sectional data from the STEP survey conducted by the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, Cambodia in 2010. In total, 5,015 subjects between age 25 and 64 years were included in the analyses. Chi-square, Fisher's Exact test and Student t-test, and multiple logistic regression were performed. Of total, 35.6% (n = 1,786) were men, and 64.4% (n = 3,229) were women. Mean age was 43.0 years (SD = 11.2 years) and 43.6 years (SD = 10.9 years) for men and women, respectively. Significant association of subjects with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia was found in those with BMI ≥ 23.0 kg/m(2) and with WC >80.0 cm in both sexes. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) from Receiver Operating Characteristic curves was significantly greater in both sexes (all p-values <0.001) when BMI of 23.0 kg/m(2) was used as the cutoff point for overweight compared to that using WHO BMI classification for overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m(2)) for detecting the three cardiovascular risk factors. Similarly, AUC was also significantly higher in men (p-value <0.001) when using WC of 80.0 cm as the cutoff point for central obesity compared to that recommended by WHO (WC ≥ 94.0 cm in men).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower cutoffs for BMI and WC should be used to identify of risks of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia for Cambodian aged between 25 and 64 years.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, the National Institute of Public Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia ; Institute of Biology, Medicine and Agriculture, Royal Academy of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
authors.forename: Yom
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Siyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Piseth Raingsey
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Prak
authors.forename: Sophal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oum
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Logerfo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference