Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220400
Title: Waist to height ratio is correlated with height in US children and adolescents age 2-18y

Author
item TYBOR, DAVID - TUFTS UNIVERSITY
item Lichtenstein, Alice
item Dallal, Gerald
item MUST, AVIVA - TUFTS UNIV SCHOOL OF MED

Submitted to: International Journal of Pediatric Obesity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2008
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Citation: Tybor, D., Lichtenstein, A.H., Dallal, G., Must, A. 2008. Waist to height ratio is correlated with height in US children and adolescents age 2-18y. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity. 3(3):148-151.

Interpretive Summary: The waist-to-height ratio is a measure of central adiposity (obesity) and this thought be some to be a significant predictor of cardiovascular (heart) disease risk factors in children and adolescents. The simple waist-to-height ratio, however, racks with height, which could cause over or under estimates of cardiovascular disease risk. We investigated the dependence of waist-to-height ratio on height (Ht) in the representative US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. We divided the 11,270 subjects who ranged in age 2-18 y by age and sex. We next used a mathematical model to describe the relationship of waist circumference (WC) to height as each factor changed with advancing years in order to determine the value that best describes the relationship. We found that height was correlated to waist-to-height ratio. These data suggest it may be necessary to either correct the data or use an alternate way to estimate a child’s cardiovascular disease risk other than the standard waist-to-height ratio. This observation was true for both females and males.

Technical Abstract: The waist-to-height ratio is an anthropometric measure of central adiposity that has emerged as a significant predictor of cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents. The simple waist-to-height ratio, however, retains residual correlation with height, which could cause the measure to over- or under-adjust for the effect of height at certain ages. We investigated the dependence of waist-to-height ratio on height (Ht) in the representative US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004. We stratified 11,270 subjects age 2-18 years by age and sex and fit a log-log regression of waist circumference (WC) on height to determine the exponent for height that best adjusts waist circumference for height in WC/Htp. We found considerable residual correlation between height and the waist-to-height ratio. The "optimal" power for height in the age- and sex-specific waist-to-height ratio varies according to sex and age, so that simply dividing waist circumference by height might not be appropriate to "adjust for height" during periods of growth. Future research should investigate how this affects relationships between central adiposity and cardiovascular risk factors across these ages.