Waist circumference and central fatness of Egyptian primary-school children.

This cross-sectional study of 1283 healthy children (681 boys, 602 girls) aged 6-11 years tested the degree of correlation between waist circumference measurements and adiposity. The children were classified as normal, overweight or obese according to their body mass index (BMI). For both sexes a highly positive correlation was found between waist circumference and BMI, percentage of body fat, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, and the sum of skinfold measures. Central overweight and obesity were indicators for central fatness for both overweight boys and girls and for obese girls except in age group 6.5 +/- 1 years. Waist circumference was a good indicator of central fatness (overweight and obesity) in children aged 8.5 +/- years and 10.5 +/- 1 years.