Evaluation of several anthropometric indices of obesity as predictors of metabolic syndrome in Jordanian adults

Introduction: anthropometric indices have all been tested for their relation to metabolic syndrome (MetS), but with no consistent cut-off points are yet established among different population group. Objective: this study aims to evaluate the predictive power of several anthropometric indices of central obesity as predictors of MetS in a group of Jordanian adults. Methods: in this cross sectional study, 630 adult subjects (308 men and 322 women) aged between 20-70 years were recruited at the King Hussein Medical Center in Amman (Jordan). The diagnosis of MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Anthropometric measurements (waist circumference [WC]; waist to hip ratio [WHpR]; waist to height ratio [WHtR]; body mass index [BMI]) were performed and recorded following standard procedures. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the efficacy of anthropometric measurements as predictors of MetS. Results: the results indicated that, in men for identifying subjects with MetS risk, area under curve (AUC) from the ROC curves for WC was 0.851, AUC for WHpR was 0.842, AUC for VVHtR was 0.85, and AUC for BMI was 0.83. In women, AUC for WC, WHpR, VVHtR, and BMI were 0.866, 0.871, 0.872, and 0.831, respectively. Conclusion: it could be concluded that among anthropometric indices, both VVHtR and WC had the strongest predictive power for identifying subjects with MetS in men and women. WHtR appears to be the best indicator of central obesity in women and individuals of short stature.