Physiological and anthropometric correlates of metabolic risk factors among selected non obese adults in Zaria, Northern Nigeria

Recent publications on clinical definitions have transformed the metabolic syndrome from a physiological curiosity to a major focus of research, clinical and public health interests on non obese adults. The purpose of this study therefore, was to determine the relationship between anthropometrics and cardiometabolic variables that reflect the existence of metabolic syndrome among non obese adults. One hundred and seventy four (174) adults, with mean age of 47.13 ± 8.10 (male) and 44.96 ± 9.58 (female) were recruited for this cross sectional study. Descriptive statistics, partial correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between anthropometric measurements and cardiometabolic variables after controlling for age. Anthropometric indices, lipid profile, fasting glucose and blood pressure were among the variables assessed using standard procedures. The best correlation among the anthropometrics (p ≤ 0.05) was presented between waist circumference and waist-height ratio (male r = 0.925, female r = 0.916) and body fat (%) and fat mass (male r = 0.956, female r = 0.944). Fat mass, waist-height ratio and waist circumference in male and waist-height ratio in female were found to have the largest correlation relative to at least 3 risk factors. Combination of three components of cardiometabolic risk factors were significantly more in male than female. Regression analysis also showed that waist-height ratio appears optimal for predicting components of cardiometabolic risk factors among non obese adults. Among all obesity measures studied, waist-height ratio, waist circumference and fat mass explained comparatively larger amount of variance of cardiometabolic risk factors among non-obese adults. Non obese male were significantly more likely to have two or more risk factors than female participants. However, the greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome was associated with increasing waist-height ratio, which could be used as simple and non-invasive method for detecting dyslipidemia among non obese adults, and use of this method was suggested in clinical and epidemiological fields.