Waist circumference as a predictor of cardiovascular risk in young Australian children

This study aimed to investigate the association between waist circumference and cardiovascular risk profile in Australian children using cross-sectional data from the Growth and Development Study. A total of 70 healthy-weight children, 50 overweight children and 28 obese children participated in the study. A multilevel model analysis revealed that waist circumference was the only significant anthropometric predictor of lipid profile, systolic blood pressure, fasting insulin, post-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) insulin levels and insulin resistance, with increasing waist circumference associated with increasing cardiovascular risk. Body mass index (BMI) Z-score was only predictive of 120-min glucose concentrations during OGTT. In conclusion, waist circumference is a better anthropometric predictor of cardiovascular risk than BMI Z-score in Australian primary school-aged children.

Abstract

Keywords:
Blood pressure – BMI – Cardiovascular risk – HDL cholesterol – Insulin resistance – Obesity – OGTT – Overweight – Triglycerides – Waist circumference