Predictors of central and general obesity in Iranian preschool children: which anthropometric indices can be used as screening tools?

AIM: To compare the ability of anthropometric indices [waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), neck-to-height ratio (NHR), conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) and body mass index (BMI)] and,measuerments like neck(NC), hip(HC) and waist circumferences to predict overweight and obesity in Iranian preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 498 Iranian preschool children were included in this case–control study conducted in Tehran, Iran. The participants were selected using the stratified random sampling procedure based on gender and school. Using sex-based receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis, we compared the area under the curve and defined the cut-off points for detecting central and general obesity for each index in order to identify the most suitable tools in predicting obesity. RESULTS: Boys had significantly higher values for NC, WC, WHR, NHR, CI, TMI and BMI as compared to girls, whereas BAI and HC were higher in girls. The area under the curve was calculated for all the possible predictors of central obesity, i.e., NC (0.841–0.860), WC (0.70–0.679), HC (0.785–0.697), WHR (0.446–0.639) and CI (0.773–0.653) in boys and girls, respectively. And according to the ROC curve analysis, BMI (0.959–0.948), TMI (0.988–0.981), WHtR (0.667–0.553) and NHR (0.785–0.769) were predictors of general obesity and NC (0.841–0.860) as predictor of central obesity in boys and girls, respectively. The optimal cut-off points for TMI (13.80–15.83), NC (28.68–27.5) and for other anthropometric indices were estimated in both boys and girls. CONCLUSION: TMI and NC seem to predict general and central obesity in Iranian preschool children.