Objectives:
to assess the capacity of anthropometric indicators to predict metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents and to establish cut-off points.
Methods:
a cross-sectional study was carried out with a probabilistic sample of 879 children and adolescents of both sexes. Metabolic, anthropometric and socio-demographic data were gathered. Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was carried out using the modified definition of the National Cholesterol Education Program 's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII). The capacity of anthropometric indicators to predict metabolic syndrome was assessed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results:
the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 6.6%. For prediction of metabolic syndrome, the area under the ROC curve was 0. 79 (0. 72; 0.85) for body mass index, 0. 79 (0.73; 0.85) for waist circumference and 0.83 (0.78; 0.89) for waist circumference corrected for height. The cut-off point identified for waist circumference corrected for height for prediction of metabolic syndrome was 0.448 (for both sexes).
Conclusions:
all anthropometric indicators used were good predictors of metabolic syndrome, with slightly better results for waist circumference corrected for height. The cut-off point identified for waist circumference corrected for height for prediction of metabolic syndrome was similar to the standard proposed by other authors. It is suggested that this indicator be used in clinical and epidemiological studies as a predictor of metabolic syndrome, since it is simple to measure.
Anthropometric indicator; Metabolic syndrome; Child, Adolescent
