Cut-off value of Waist-to-Hip Ratio as a predictor of metabolic syndrome in adolescents with obesity

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Metabolic syndrome is present in 7% of adolescents and 19 to 35% in obese adolescents, and the cause of this condition has not been fully understood. Early identification of the risk involved could be an initial step in preventing a metabolic syndrome. Increased waist circumference, which is a parameter of central obesity, is also risk factor for this condition. This study aims to determine the possibility cut-off value of waist-to-hip (WHR) as a predictor of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: We studied 208 obese adolescents between the ages of 13 to 18 years from junior and senior high schools who living in rural dan urban areas in East Java. These obese adolescents were divided into two groups, namely with and without a metabolic syndrome. Anthropometric measurements, including waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), were carried out to analyze the cut-off values between the two groups. RESULTS: 208 obese adolescents (51.4% males and 48.6% females) without the metabolic syndrome and 104 obese adolescents with metabolic syndrome were evaluated. There was a significant relationship between WHR and metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents (r = 0.203, P = 0.003). Those adolescents with a high WHR value > 0.891 had twice risk to develop metabolic syndrome compared to those with lower (OR 2.033; 95% CI = 1.165-3.545). CONCLUSIONS: Increased waist-to-hip ratio > 0.89 in adolescents was associated with higher risk to develop metabolic syndrome and can be proposed as a predictor for metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents. (www.actabiomedica.it)