Neck circumference measurement as a screening tool for obesity in children – A cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Conventional anthropometric measurements for obesity in children offer several limitations which the newer methods propose to overcome. Objective: To determine whether neck circumference can be used as a screening tool to identify obesity in children and to find out the correlation between neck circumference and body mass index, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio in evaluation of obesity in children. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study. Total 360 children (13–16 years) of a private school were study participants. Body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to hip ratio was compared with neck circumference of the same subjects. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between neck circumference and other obesity indices. Data was analyzed and compared using t-test/ANOVA and the significance level was set at p < 0.05. Result: The mean weight, waist circumference, neck circumference, hip circumference was significantly less in the group with Body mass index less than 23 kg/m2 in comparison to the subjects with Body mass index greater than or equal 23 kg/m2 (p value < 0.0001) for both the sexes. Ratio of males was more than females and the mean ± Standard Deviation of Body mass index was 20.88 ± 3.9 kg/m2 with prevalence of obesity 25.56%. Conclusion: The neck circumference is an efficacious tool for screening obesity with good sensitivity and specificity. There was a significant correlation between neck Circumference and different anthropometric measurement in both the sexes.

Keywords

• Children
• Obesity
• Body mass index
• Neck circumference