RT Journal
A1 Denney-Wilson E, Hardy LL, Dobbins T, Okely AD, Baur LA
T1 BOdy mass index, waist circumference, and chronic disease risk factors in australian adolescents
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2008
FD June 2
VO 162
IS 6
SP 566
OP 573
DO 10.1001/archpedi.162.6.566
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.162.6.566
AB Objective 
    To determine the association between measures of adiposity (body mass index and waist circumference) and risk factors for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and the clustering of risk factors in middle adolescence.Design 
    Cross-sectional study.Setting 
    Secondary schools in Sydney.Participants 
    Grade 10 students (N = 496; 58.4% boys; mean [SD] age, 15.4 [0.4] years).Main Exposures 
    Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting blood samples.Outcome Measures 
    Participants were categorized as overweight or obese using the International Obesity Task Force cut points and the UK waist circumference cut points. Blood was analyzed for high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and the results were categorized as normal or abnormal according to published guidelines where possible. Associations between overweight and obesity and risk factors were explored using logistic regression. Clustering of risk factors within individuals was also explored.Results 
    Insulin (P &lt; .001), alanine aminotransferase (P &lt; .001), γ-glutamyltransferase (P = .005), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P &lt; .001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P &lt; .001), and blood pressure (P &lt; .001) were significantly associated with overweight and obesity in adolescent boys. In adolescent girls, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P &lt; .001), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P &lt; .001) were significantly associated with overweight and obesity. Obese adolescent boys and girls were significantly more likely to have 2 or more risk factors (boys: 73.5% vs 7.6%; girls: 44.4% vs 5.4%; P &lt; .001 for both) than nonoverweight adolescents.Conclusions 
    Overweight and obese adolescents, especially boys, are at substantial risk for chronic conditions. Waist circumference is not a better predictor of metabolic risk factors than is body mass index.