Waist Circumference, Waist Hip Ratio, and Body Mass Index in Female Undergraduates of a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria: a Cross Sectional Study

Purpose: Obesity and overweight are associated with variety of conditions detrimental to health, wellbeing, and longevity. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are indicators of risk for central adiposity while body mass index is an indicator of overall risk of obesity. Body mass index has been traditionally used as a standard for determining overweight and obesity. This study was designed to determine the relationship between waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index among female undergraduates of a Nigerian University. Also prevalence of obesity based on waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index was explored. Methods: Three hundred and sixty four (364) apparently healthy subjects were recruited for the study using a cross-sectional simple random sampling technique. Waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index were determined using standard methods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the physical characteristics of the participants. A Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index. Results: The mean age, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index of the participants were 22.5 (+/- 2.20) years, 79.36 (+/- 10.4) cm, 0.81 (+/- 0.06), and 22.48 (+/- 4.50) kg/m(2) respectively. The prevalence of obesity based on body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio was found to be 6.3%, 17.6%, and 25.5% respectively. A significant relationship was found between waist circumference and body mass index (r = 0.81; p < 0.001), and between waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index (r = 0.25; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Body mass index was related to waist circumference, as well as to waist-to-hip ratio. The prevalence of obesity based on waist-to-hip ratio was highest among female undergraduates in a Nigerian university. An awareness of the importance of the waist-to-hip ratio as indicator of risk of obesity should be created among female undergraduates in Nigerian Universities and by extension among the female population in general.