Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little data has been published on the association of indices of body fat distribution and HDL cholesterol (HDL), a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity, in representative samples of total populations of children and adolescents including blacks and Hispanics.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the distribution of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in US children and adolescents and to assess the association with HDL.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of a large national sample, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
PARTICIPANTS: People aged 4–19 y.
MEASUREMENTS: Body circumferences, skinfold thickness, body mass index (BMI), and serum total and HDL cholesterol concentrations.
RESULTS: Mean WHR varied consistently with age, gender, and ethnic group. Levels were highest in Mexican Americans. WHR showed significant negative associations with HDL cholesterol concentration and positive associations with the ratio of total serum cholesterol to HDL in pre- and postpubertal girls independent of age and BMI. However, associations were often not as strong as those with BMI. Other indices of body fat distribution were not superior to WHR.
CONCLUSION: Further research is needed on the association of WHR, other indices of body fat distribution and HDL measured in childhood with subsequent risk of atherosclerosis.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gillum, R. Distribution of waist-to-hip ratio, other indices of body fat distribution and obesity and associations with HDL cholesterol in children and young adults aged 4–19 years: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Int J Obes 23, 556–563 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800866
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800866
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Population-based references for waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios for children and adolescents, and evaluation of their predictive ability
European Journal of Pediatrics (2023)
-
Adding anthropometric measures of regional adiposity to BMI improves prediction of cardiometabolic, inflammatory and adipokines profiles in youths: a cross-sectional study
BMC Pediatrics (2015)
-
The Interplay Between Sex, Ethnicity, and Adipose Tissue Characteristics
Current Obesity Reports (2015)
-
Neck circumference: an additional tool of screening overweight and obesity in childhood
European Journal of Pediatrics (2010)
-
Truncal and Abdominal Fat as Determinants of High Triglycerides and Low HDL‐cholesterol in Adolescents
Obesity (2009)