Publication: Association of Waist Circumference and Body Mass Index among the Students of a Medical College
Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
Obesity and overweight have emerged as significant public health concerns on a global
scale. In the pursuit of evaluating body composition and identifying potential health
risks, two widely utilized measures are Body Mass Index and waist circumference.
These anthropometric indicators are considered economical, practical, and also
crucial for screening, monitoring the individual’s nutritional status, and anticipating
future disease risk.
Objective
To explore the correlation between waist circumference and Body Mass Index and
find out its significance as indicators of health and nutritional status in young adults.
Method
The study comprises 260 healthy young adults, aged 18-25 years from pre-clinical
sciences, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS). Anthropometric
measurements of height (m), weight (kg), and waist circumference (cm) were
recorded. Body Mass Index was calculated by using the formula as body weight (kg)
divided by the square of body height (m2). Demographic factors such as age, sex,
obesity, and life style factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity
were noted.
Result
The study found a positive correlation between Body Mass Index, waist
circumference (WC) and weight. However, no association was found between waist
circumference and height. The findings also indicated a notably high percentage of
17.69% participants, who were categorized as overweight, while a 9.23% fell into
the underweight category. The study confirms that 83.08% of the students have
moderate physical activity whereas 14.62% have insufficient and 2.31% have heavy
physical activity.
Conclusion
The study shows a positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and waist
circumference (WC) in young adults aged 18-25 years.
KEY WORDS
Anthropometric measurement, Body mass index , Obesity, Waist circumference
Description
Sharma K,1 Mansur DI,1 Shakya R,1 Maskey S,1 Shrestha A,1 Nepal O2
1Department of Anatomy
2Department of Physiology
Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Chaukot, Kavre, Nepal
Keywords
Anthropometric measurement, Body mass index, Obesity, Waist circumference