Ethnicity and the association between anthropometric indices of obesity and cardiovascular risk in women: a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to determine whether the cross-sectional associations between anthropometric obesity measures, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and calculated 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using the Framingham and general CVD risk score models, are the same for women of Australian, UK and Ireland, North European, South European and Asian descent. This study would investigate which anthropometric obesity measure is most predictive at identifying women at increased CVD risk in each ethnic group.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data from the National Heart Foundation Risk Factor Prevalence Study.


METHODS
Population-based survey in Australia.


METHODS
4354 women aged 20-69 years with no history of heart disease, diabetes or stroke. Most participants were of Australian, UK and Ireland, North European, South European or Asian descent (97%).


METHODS
Anthropometric obesity measures that demonstrated stronger predictive ability of identifying women at increased CVD risk and likelihood of being above the promulgated treatment thresholds of various risk score models.


RESULTS
Central obesity measures, WC and WHR, were better predictors of cardiovascular risk. WHR reported a stronger predictive ability than WC and BMI in Caucasian women. In Northern European women, BMI was a better indicator of risk using the general CVD (10% threshold) and Framingham (20% threshold) risk score models. WC was the most predictive of cardiovascular risk among Asian women.


CONCLUSIONS
Ethnicity should be incorporated into CVD assessment. The same anthropometric obesity measure cannot be used across all ethnic groups. Ethnic-specific CVD prevention and treatment strategies need to be further developed.
School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Louise G H
LG
Goh
School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Satvinder S
SS
Dhaliwal
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Timothy A
TA
Welborn
School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Andy H
AH
Lee
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Phillip R
PR
Della
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult
Cardiology; Epidemiology; Public Health