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Waist circumference associated with pulmonary function in children

Yue Chen1, Donna Rennie, Yvon Cormier

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ychen@uottawa.ca

Pediatric Pulmonology
|February 11, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Waist circumference (WC) in children predicts lung function, impacting forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Higher WC is linked to reduced FEV1/FVC ratio, indicating potential respiratory issues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Obesity and Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference (WC), is linked to lung dysfunction in adults.
  • The impact of WC on pulmonary function in children remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the predictability of WC for pulmonary function in children aged 6-17.
  • To determine if WC is a significant predictor of lung function metrics in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 718 children from a rural community.
  • Measurements included height, weight, WC, and pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV1).
  • Multivariate analysis was employed to assess associations and predictive values.

Main Results:

  • WC positively correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1).
  • Increased WC significantly predicted a reduction in the FEV1/FVC ratio.
  • WC, unlike body mass index (BMI), was a significant negative predictor of FEV1/FVC.

Conclusions:

  • Waist circumference is a significant predictor of pulmonary function in children.
  • WC has a greater impact on FVC than on FEV1.
  • Abdominal obesity, indicated by WC, is associated with poorer lung function (reduced FEV1/FVC) in children, independent of BMI.

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