Optimised anthropometric indices as predictive screening tools for metabolic syndrome in adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives We aimed to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and two latest optimised indices, waist divided by height 0.5 (WHT.5R) and body mass index (BMI) multiply by the square root of BMI and waist circumference (BMI√WC), and to comprehensively compare the ability of 10 anthropometric indices to identify MetS, including BMI√WC, WHT.5R, abdominal volume index (AVI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), Body Roundness Index (BRI).Design Cross-sectional study.Setting Ningxia, China.Participants A total of 3860 adults aged 18–88 years from Ningxia, China were recruited by a single stratified cluster random sampling method.Methods ORs and 95% CIs for associations between indices and MetS were calculated using binary logistic regression, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs) were performed to compare their predictive capacity for MetS. All results for men and women were analysed and presented separately.Results The highest adjusted ORs for MetS were observed for the following indices: AVI (OR 15.22, 95% CI 10.88 to 21.30), WHT.5R (OR 13.83, 95% CI 9.89 to 19.35) and BMI√WC (OR 12.14, 95% CI 8.79 to 16.76) in men, whereas BRI, WHtR (both OR 14.91, 95% CI 10.39 to 21.4), WHT.5R (OR 14.22, 95% CI 9.96 to 20.29) and AVI (OR 14.03, 95% CI 9.91 to 19.87) in women. In ROC analysis, AVI (AUC: 0.767 for men and 0.749 for women) and WHT.5R (AUC: 0.761 for men and 0.747 for women) showed the highest predictive ability for MetS.Conclusions BMI√WC and WHT.5R were significantly positively associated with MetS, and AVI and WHT.5R could be useful screening tools for identifying MetS in both sexes.