Bipin Kumar, Pallavi Lohani, Rashmi Singh
BACKGROUND
Anthropometry is used to assess health of individuals and communities. It is a tool that provides rapid and quantitative assessment of nutritional and clinical states in children, adults or other population groups. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences in adults, Midarm Circumference (MAC) head and chest circumferences are common anthropometric measurements in children. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-To-Hip Ratio (WHR) and Waist-To-Height Ratio (WHtR) commonly used indices to identify adults for intervention and follow up. Anthropometry is a simple, noninvasive and inexpensive method used in community or clinic settings for screening for underlying disease or risk factors. Bihar state has a high population of rural poor. It was decided to study anthropometric patterns of low-income villagers and their vulnerability to CVD risk factors, which are generally associated with affluence and urbanisation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cross-sectional community-based study conducted on low-income adults aged thirty years and above residing in the villages of Phulwari Sharif Block of Patna district. Sociodemographic details followed by anthropometry, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar measurements of 1529 participants done.
RESULTS
Maximum number of participants were labourers (24.78%) followed by farmers (19.81%) of age group 30-39 years (38.26%). BMI was within normal range (18.5-23) for 34.33% males and 34.69% females. Only 10.09% males and 1.80% females were overweight or obese; more than half (55.58% males, 63.51% females) were underweight. WC was normal for 96.3% of males and 68.1% of females. WHR was abnormal in 15.4% males and 70% females; WHtR was abnormal in 14% males and 72% females. 5.82% were hypertensive; 9.55% was hyperglycaemic, WHR for both males and females was significantly associated with hypertension (P value = 0.000 in both sexes). WHtR of both males and females also found to be significantly associated with and with high BMI (P = 0.001); hypertension (P-value 0.004 and 0.000, respectively). Both WHR and WHtR in females were significantly associated to hyperglycaemia (FBG >126 mg/dL) in females only.
CONCLUSION
Anthropometric patterns of this low-income rural population reveals the existence of underweight implying chronic energy deficiency. However, there is also prevalence of truncal obesity especially in females, which is also significantly associated with CVD risk factors of hypertension in both sexes and hyperglycaemia in females. CVD risk factors can coexist with chronic energy deficiency in non-affluent societies and anthropometry can be used to screen such persons for intervention.
