title: Body adiposity index as a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal Caucasian, African American, and Filipina women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the utility of the body adiposity index (BAI) and its association with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older Caucasian (n=369), African American (n=336) and Filipina (n=275) women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, anthropometric measures, plasma glucose and medical history were assessed in 1993-1999.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite smaller body size, 32.7% of Filipina women had higher MetS compared to African American and Caucasian women based on the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) (32.7% vs 19.6% and 13.3%, respectively) or the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) (42.6% vs 33.0% and 18.7%, respectively ps<0.05). BAI had higher positive correlations with BMI, %body fat (%BF), and %truncal fat in Caucasian than African American and Filipina women. Adjusted for age, smoking, estrogen use, exercise, and alcohol intake, odds of the MetS (NCEP) were 2.08 (95%CI: 1.52-2.85) by BAI, 3.04 (95%CI: 2.11-4.38) by BMI, and 2.13 (95%CI: 1.52-3.00) by %BF for Caucasian women; 0.92 (95%CI: 0.69-1.23) by BAI, 1.44 (95%CI: 1.09-1.90) by BMI, and 1.12 (95%CI: 0.84-1.50) by %BF for African American women; and 1.14 (95%CI: 0.88-1.47) by BAI, 1.51 (95%CI: 1.15-1.97) by BMI, and 0.96 (95%CI: 0.74-1.25) by %BF for Filipinas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BAI was better able to assess adiposity in postmenopausal Caucasian women compared to African American and Filipina women. This index can distinguish ethnic differences in MetS confirmed by %BF.
authors.affiliation: Joint Doctoral Program, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, United States. Electronic address: adjibo@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Djeneba Audrey
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Djibo
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Maria Rosario G
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Araneta
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kritz-Silverstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrett-Connor
authors.affiliation: County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Wilma
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wooten
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050154:Adiposity; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D017698:Postmenopause; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology*
keywords: Adiposity; BAI; Ethnic differences; Metabolic syndrome; Postmenopausal women