Abdominal obesity has the highest impact on metabolic profile in an overweight African population

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the association between different anthropometric parameters and metabolic profile in an overweight, adult, black Kenyan population.

Methods: An opportunity sample of 245 overweight adult Kenyans (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m²) was analysed. A score of metabolic profile (metabolic Z-score) was constructed on the basis of levels of plasma lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose and serum insulin. Linear regressions using metabolic Z-score as outcome and six anthropometric variables (waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, arm fat area and arm muscle area) separately as independent variables were carried out.

Results: Mean age of study participants was 42.1 years (SD = 9.6) and 26.5% of the participants were men. The median BMI was 28.6 kg/m² (Q1 = 26.3; Q3 = 31.3). Of the six anthropometric variables tested, WC and VAT thickness had the strongest negative association with the metabolic profile (β = 0.17 (0.09; 0.24) and 0.15 (0.08; 0.23), respectively).

Conclusions: WC and VAT thickness were the strongest anthropometric predictors for the metabolic profile in overweight adult Kenyans. WC is useful in clinical practice for the diagnosis of metabolically unhealthy fat accumulation in an African setting.

Keywords::

• Abdominal obesity
• overweight
• waist circumference
• visceral obesity

Abbreviations::

• AFA
• arm fat area
• AMA
• arm muscle area
• BMI
• body mass index
• HC
• hip circumference
• HDL-C
• high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
• LDL-C
• low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
• VAT
• visceral adipose tissue
• WC
• waist circumference

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to all study participants, the local chiefs, the local elder councils, district politicians and all local assistants. We acknowledge the permission by the Director of KEMRI to publish this manuscript. DLC, HF, KBJO, DLM, MKB and IT conceived the study. DLC, BK and AWH implemented the study. LNH, DRW and DLC analysed the data and LNH wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to interpretation of results and commented on drafts and approved the final version. DLC (E-mail: [email protected]) is guarantor of the paper.

Declaration of interest : The authors report no conflicts of interest. This study was supported by grants from DANIDA, University of Copenhagen (Cluster of International Health), Steno Diabetes Center, Beckett Foundation, Dagmar Marshall's Foundation, Dr. Thorvald Madsen's Grant, Kong Christian den Tiende's Foundation and Brdr. Hartmann Foundation. The funding bodies had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or decision to publish the findings.