Ability of body mass index and waist circumference to identify risk factors for non-communicable disease in the Pacific Islands

Wendy Snowdon; Mary Malakellis; Lynne Millar; Boyd Swinburn

doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2012.06.005

Ability of body mass index and waist circumference to identify risk factors for non-communicable disease in the Pacific Islands

Obes Res Clin Pract. 2014 Jan-Feb;8(1):e36-45. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2012.06.005.

Authors

Wendy Snowdon¹, Mary Malakellis², Lynne Millar², Boyd Swinburn²

Affiliations

¹ WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Fiji. Electronic address:wendy.snowdon@deakin.edu.au.
² WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Deakin University, Fiji.

PMID: 24548575
DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2012.06.005

Abstract

Body mass index and waist circumference are widely used tools to identify risk of non-communicable diseases. Research has indicated that the risk relationships differ by ethnicity. In this study, data from chronic disease surveys in Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Wallis and Futuna were merged and analysed using receiver operator curves. The action points for body mass index and waist circumference with the highest specificity and sensitivity for identifying the risk of NCDs were identified. The analysis showed considerable differences between Melanesians and other Pacific Islanders, and also gender differences. Action points for non-Melanesians were higher than for Melanesians, and region-wide values are therefore inappropriate.:

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Body Mass Index*
Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology*
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity / etiology*
Pacific Islands
ROC Curve
Reference Values
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Waist Circumference*
Young Adult