Pitfalls of Using Body Mass Index (BMI) in Assessment of Obesity Risk

Bhurosy, Trishnee; Jeewon, Rajesh

doi:10.12944/crnfsj.1.1.07

Cited by 41 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Older adults also frequently experience a loss of height over time. Due to these factors, BMI may be a less sensitive indicator of obesity in older adults (Bhurosy & Jeewon, 2013). For this reason it is recommended that BMI be used together with other measures of fatness such as WC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The outcome variables used in the present study were food insecurity, BMI (kg/m 2 ), and WC (cm). Because BMI is limited as an indicator of obesity, especially in older adults (Bhurosy & Jeewon, 2013), it has been recommended that it be used alongside other measures that may better reflect abdominal adiposity, such as WC. Therefore, we included both measures in the present study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Food insecurity partially mediates associations between social disadvantage and body composition among older adults in india: Results from the study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

Schrock

McClure

Snodgrass

et al. 2017

American J Hum Biol

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Objective Our objective was to test whether food insecurity mediates cross-sectional associations between social disadvantage and body composition among older adults (aged 50+) in India (n=6556). Methods Adjusting for key sociodemographic and dietary variables, we examined whether markers of social disadvantage (lower educational attainment, lower household wealth, belonging to a disadvantaged caste/tribe, and belonging to a minority religion) were associated with food insecurity. We then examined whether food insecurity, in turn, was associated with anthropometric measures of body composition, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC). We also tested whether food insecurity mediated the relationship between social disadvantage and body composition. Results In adjusted models, lower household wealth [lowest quintile (Q5) vs. highest quintile (Q1): odds ratio (OR)=13.57, P<0.001], having less than a high school education (OR=2.12. P<0.005), being Muslim (OR=1.82, P<0.001), and being in a scheduled caste (historically marginalized) (OR=1.49, P<0.005) were associated with greater food insecurity. Those who were severely food insecure had greater odds of being underweight (OR=1.36, P<0.01) and lower odds of high WC (OR=0.70, P<0.01). Mediation analyses estimated that food insecurity explained 4.7% to 29.7% of the relationship between social disadvantage and body composition, depending on the variables considered. Conclusions Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that food insecurity is a mechanism linking social disadvantage and body composition among older adults in India. These analyses contribute to a better understanding of processes leading to variation in body composition, which may help enhance the design of interventions aimed at improving population nutritional status.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food insecurity partially mediates associations between social disadvantage and body composition among older adults in india: Results from the study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

Schrock

McClure

Snodgrass

et al. 2017

American J Hum Biol

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“…35 BMI is a marker of general obesity 36 and is the method commonly used to determine obesity in social science research 37 even though the measure is criticized for lack of gender-, age-, and ethnicity-based cutoffs tailored to specific populations. 38 …”

Section: Dependent Variablementioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

Dake

Thompson

et al. 2016

J Urban Health

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Obesity in the sub-Saharan Africa region has been portrayed as a problem of affluence, partly because obesity has been found to be more common in urban areas and among the rich. Recent findings, however, reveal rising prevalence among the poor particularly the urban poor. A growing body of literature mostly in Western countries shows that obesity among the poor is partly the result of an obesogenic-built environment. Such studies are lacking in the African context. This study examines the characteristics of the local food environment in an urban poor setting in Accra, Ghana and further investigates the associated risk of obesity for residents. Data on the local food environment was collected using geographic positioning system (GPS) technology. The body mass indices (BMI) of females (15-49 years) and males (15-59 years) were calculated from measured weight and height. Data on the socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors of respondents was also collected through a household survey. Spatial analysis tools were used to examine the characteristics of the local food environment while the influence of the food environment on BMI was examined using a twolevel multilevel model. The measures of the food environment constituted the level 2 factors while individual socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors constituted the level 1 factors. The local food environment in the study communities is suggestive of an obesogenic food environment characterized by an abundance of out-of-home cooked foods, convenience stores, and limited fruits and vegetables options. The results of the multilevel analysis reveal a 0.2 kg/m 2 increase in BMI for every additional convenience store and a 0.1 kg/m 2 reduction in BMI for every out-of-home cooked food place available in the study area after controlling for individual socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and community characteristics. The findings of this study indicate that the local food environment in urban poor Accra is associated with increased risk of obesity through providing access to convenience stores. In order to reduce the risk of obesity in these urban poor communities, there is the need to regulate the availability of and access to convenience stores while also encouraging healthier offerings in convenience stores.

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“…Health risks based on WHR is classified into low risk, moderate risk and high risk 16 . Low risk is WHR < 0.95 and < 0.80 for men and women, respectively, whereas moderate risk is WHR of 0.96-1.00 in men and 0.81-0.85 in women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Low risk is WHR < 0.95 and < 0.80 for men and women, respectively, whereas moderate risk is WHR of 0.96-1.00 in men and 0.81-0.85 in women. Nevertheless, high risk is recorded when WHR > 1.00 in men and > 0.85 in women 16 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between central obesity and blood pressure in an adult Nigerian population

Onuoha

Ebirim

Ajonuma

et al. 2016

JMH

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Background: Obesity has been recognised as a major risk factor in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of central obesity [using waist–hip ratio (WHR) as an indicator] and the correlation between central obesity and blood pressure (BP) in adults seen in a Nigerian tertiary health facility.Materials and methods: The study was a cross-sectional design carried out between February and November 2015 at the General Outpatient Clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Nigeria. A total of 482 consenting adults aged 16–40 years formed the study population. Consecutive sampling was used in the recruitment of subjects, whereas data were collected by the use of an interviewer-administered questionnaire.Results: The mean age of the study population was 25.37 ± 5.49, whereas the mean WHR for men and women was 0.83 ± 0.04 and 0.82 ± 0.05, respectively. The prevalence of central obesity in the study population was 39.4% (n = 190). Female respondents had a higher prevalence (59.2%) than male respondents (8.5%), and the relationship between central obesity and sex was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between WHR and BP (diastolic BP: r = 0.122, p = 0.008; systolic BP: r = 0.015, p = 0.742) in both sexes. Obese respondents were observed to be more likely to develop hypertension than the non-obese respondents.Conclusion: This study showed a correlation between central obesity and BP in adults aged 16–40 years.

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Pitfalls of Using Body Mass Index (BMI) in Assessment of Obesity Risk

Cited by 41 publications

References 11 publications

Food insecurity partially mediates associations between social disadvantage and body composition among older adults in india: Results from the study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

Food insecurity partially mediates associations between social disadvantage and body composition among older adults in india: Results from the study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

Correlation between central obesity and blood pressure in an adult Nigerian population

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