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World J Cardiol. Aug 26, 2013; 5(8): 295-304
Published online Aug 26, 2013. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v5.i8.295
Published online Aug 26, 2013. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v5.i8.295
Central obesity in Yemeni children: A population based cross-sectional study
Mohamed Bamoshmoosh, Hameed Aklan, Mahdi Al-Karewany, Husni Al-Goshae, University of Science and Technology, Sana’a 15201, Yemen
Luciano Massetti, Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council, 50134 Florence, Italy
Pietro Amedeo Modesti, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy
Author contributions: Bamoshmoosh M and Modesti PA drafted the manuscript; Bamoshmoosh M, Massetti L, Aklan H, Al-Karewany M, Al-Goshae H and Modesti PA were involved in the conception and design of the study; Aklan H, Al-Karewany M and Al-Goshae H coordinated data collection for the study; Modesti PA wrote the statistical analysis plan and provided statistical advice; Massetti L conducted the main analyses; Modesti PA is the guarantor.
Supported by HYpertension and Diabetes in Yemen Project is part of the Executive Programme of Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Italy and Yemen for the years 2006-2009; MIUR (Direzione Generale per le strategie e lo sviluppo dell’internazionalizzazione della ricerca scientifica e tecnologica), Rome, Italy; and Menarini International Operations Luxembourg SA
Correspondence to: Pietro Amedeo Modesti, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy. pamodesti@unifi.it
Telephone: +39-55-4979376 Fax: +39-55-4378638
Received: March 6, 2013
Revised: June 20, 2013
Accepted: July 25, 2013
Published online: August 26, 2013
Processing time: 182 Days and 20.8 Hours
Revised: June 20, 2013
Accepted: July 25, 2013
Published online: August 26, 2013
Processing time: 182 Days and 20.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: This study presents the first central obesity percentile curves of waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) for Yemeni children aged six to nineteen years. WC, WHtR and WHR changed similarly in girls and boys until early adolescence. Thereafter, differently from what observed in Western countries, obesity increased more in girls than in boys. Prevalence of central obesity in Yemeni children is low, being associated with urbanization and sedentary lifestyle, and varied according to the definition used: (1) WC percentile ≥ 90th (10.9%); (2) WHtR ≥ 0.5 (18.3%); (3) WC percentile ≥ 90th and WHtR ≥ 0.5 (8.6%).