Should body mass index be adjusted for relative sitting height in cross-sectional studies of chronic diseases in Japanese-Brazilians?
Abstract
The current article aimed to verify the degree of agreement in classification of nutritional status according to body mass index (BMI) and corrected body mass index (BMIc). Data were used from a cross-sectional study of Japanese-Brazilians. Statistical analysis provided prevalence rates for chronic diseases, kappa statistic, and Pearson's linear correlation coefficient. Some 5.9% of Japanese-Brazilians were discordant according to the BMI and BMIc classifications. The weighted kappa statistic (0.94; p = 0.000) indicated good agreement between the classifications. Similar prevalence rates for chronic diseases were obtained for individuals with excess weight classified by these two indices. Similar Pearson's linear correlation coefficients were obtained for these indices and waist circumference and body fat measurements. The results suggest that BMI correction for relative sitting height is probably unnecessary for these individuals.
