Analysis of Pediatric Waist to Hip Ratio Relationship to Metabolic Syndrome Markers.

PURPOSE

Waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a valid assessment tool to determine risk for the development or presence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adults. Evidence-based research on its validity with children and adolescents is limited. A retrospective analysis was conducted to determine if WHR in overweight and obese pediatric patients is associated with metabolic syndrome laboratory markers.

METHODS

Retrospective chart reviews were performed for 754 patients ages 6 to 17 years who were enrolled in a weight management program. Data collected included WHR, laboratory markers for metabolic disorder, body mass index, demographics, presence of acanthosis nigricans, and Tanner stage.

RESULTS

WHR and high-density lipoprotein were negatively correlated, r (N = 597) = -0.20, p < .001. WHR and triglycerides were positively correlated, r (N = 597) = 0.19, p < .001, as were WHR and low-density lipoprotein, r (N = 596) = 0.09, p = .03, and WHR and insulin, r (N = 414) = 0.16, p = .001. In a subject sample with very restricted range, a one-way analysis of variance found a significant effect of WHR on body mass index percentile, F (1, 754) = 22.43, p < .001, η(2) = 0.03.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased WHR correlated in children and adolescents with known indicators that could be suggestive of increased risk for metabolic syndrome, specifically low high-density lipoprotein, high low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and insulin. These results suggest that evaluation of WHR may be a useful tool to indicate risk for developing metabolic syndrome and diabetes in children and adolescents.