Correlation of body mass index and waist to height ratio with cardiovascular risk factors in Colombian preschool and school children

Abstract

RESUMEN: Objetivo: Analizar el grado de acuerdo entre el índice de masa corporal (IMC) y la relación-cintura estatura (rCE) para identificar niños con factores de riesgo cardiovascular (FRC). Métodos: Estudio transversal analítico con 112 niños preescolares (3-5 años) y 209 escolares (6-10 años). El sobrepeso y la obesidad se clasificaron con el IMC y la obesidad abdominal con la rCE ≥0.50. Se tomaron muestras sanguíneas en ayuno para análisis de glucosa, insulina, lípidos y cálculo del índice HOMA-IR. Se analizó la presencia de FRC y de múltiples factores del síndrome metabólico (Factores-SinMet) diferentes a la cintura [HOMA-IR elevado, triglicéridos elevados y colesterol de alta densidad (HDL-C) bajo]. Resultados: rCE≥0.50 clasificó con obesidad abdominal a más de la mitad de los niños preescolares, excediendo el número de niños clasificados con sobrepeso+obesidad por IMC (59.5% vs 9.8%; p<0.001). No hubo acuerdo entre el IMC y la rCE para identificar niños preescolares con FRC o múltiples Factores-SinMet diferentes a la cintura (kappa: 0.0 a 0.23, p>0.05). Fueron similares las proporciones de niños escolares clasificados con obesidad abdominal por la rCE o con sobrepeso+obesidad por el IMC (18.7% vs. 24.9%; p>0.05). Hubo acuerdo sustancial entre la rCE y el IMC para identificar niños escolares con valores elevados de colesterol total, colesterol de baja densidad, triglicéridos, colesterol no-HDL, insulina, HOMA-IR, valores bajos de HDL-C y la presencia de múltiples Factores-SinMet diferentes a la cintura (kappa: 0.616 a 0.857, p<0.001). Conclusión: En niños preescolares la aplicación de rCE≥0.5 no presenta acuerdo con el IMC, pero en escolares presenta un acuerdo sustancial con el IMC en la clasificación del estado nutricional y en la identificación de niños con FRC.

ABSTRACT: Objective: To analyze the agreement between body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height Ratio (WHtR) to identify preschool and school children with cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs). Methods: Three-hundred-twenty-one kids were divided into preschool (3-5 years) and school children (6-10 years). BMI was used to classify children as overweight or obese. Abdominal obesity was defined with a WHtR ≥0.50. Fasting blood lipids, glucose and insulin were measured, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. The presence of CRFs and multiple non-waist circumference (non-WC) metabolic syndrome factors (MetS-Factors) [high HOMA-IR, high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] were analyzed. Results: One-hundred-twelve preschool and 209 school children were evaluated. WHtR ≥0.50 classified abdominal obesity in more than half of the preschool children, exceeding those classified with overweight+obesity by BMI (59.5% vs. 9.8%; p<0.001). There was no agreement between WHtR and BMI to identify preschool kids with CRFs and multiple non-WC MetS-Factors (kappa: 0.0 to 0.23, p>0.05). There were similar proportions of school children classified with abdominal obesity by the WHtR and overweight+obesity by the BMI (18.7% vs. 24.9%; p>0.05). There was substantial agreement between WHtR and BMI to identify school children with high total cholesterol values, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, non-HDL-C, insulin, HOMA-IR, low HDL-C values, and the presence of multiple non-WC MetS-Factors (kappa: 0.616 to 0.857, p<0.001). Conclusion: In preschool children WHtR ≥0.5 disagree with BMI results, but in school kids, it has good agreement with the BMI to classify the children´s nutritional status and to identify those with CRFs. Keywords: Obesity; abdominal obesity; body mass index; cardiovascular risk factors; nutritional screening; preschool children; school children; waist-to-height ratio.