| Abstrakt: |
The aim of this study was to assess the predictive power of anthropometric indices and propose cut-off points for the diagnosis of abdominal adiposity in adolescents. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 516 students aged 10 to 19 yrs from 16 public schools of Sã o Luís, Maranhã o, Brazil. The following indicators were assessed: weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), conicity index (C Index), and weight-to-height ratio (WHtR). Abdominal adiposity was estimated by a cut-off score based on age and sex, and was further used as a reference to the ROC curve analysis. Of the anthropometric indicators assessed, WC and WHtR presented the largest areas under the ROC curve in the prediction of abdominal adiposity in both sexes. Cut-off points of abdominal adiposity for men and women were, respectively, BMI 21.82 kg.m-2 and 22.30 kg.m-2, WC 73.20 cm and 72.55 cm, and C index 1.13 and 1.04. WHtR was 0.45 for both sexes. The findings indicate that WHtR, WC, C index, and BMI can be used as high-sensitivity screening methods for assessing abdominal adiposity in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
