A Cross-Sectional Study of the Association of Neck Circumference and Cardiovascular Risk Among Market Women in Ghana

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality, with hypertension being a major concern. Majority of CVD-related deaths occur in developing countries.

This study examined the relationship between various anthropometric indices, including neck circumference (NC), body mass index (BMI), hip index (HI), waist circumference (WC) and body roundness index (BRI) and hypertension among market women in Koforidua, Ghana.

A cross-sectional study involving 175 market women aged 18-60 years was conducted. Data on sociodemographics, dietary patterns, physical activity, anthropometry, and blood pressure were collected. Logistic regression was used to assess associations, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis evaluated the predictive ability of each index.

The prevalence of hypertension was 53.7%. Age and BMI showed a significant positive correlation with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p < 0.001), while NC was also significantly associated (p = 0.019). Weight correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p < 0.05), whereas height correlated significantly negatively (p < 0.05). NC was significantly associated with SBP (β = 1.185, p = 0.015), while BMI was a positive but nonsignificant predictor (β = 0.272, p = 0.082). ROC analysis identified BMI, NC, and HI as key predictors of hypertension, with BMI (AUC = 0.543 for SBP, 0.646 for DBP) and NC (AUC = 0.504 for SBP) demonstrating notable predictive abilities. Optimal cutoff points for hypertension included 27.65 kg/m² for BMI and 30.50 cm for NC.

NC emerged as a strong predictor of SBP, highlighting its potential as a simple, non-invasive marker for hypertension. While BMI also showed predictive value, WC and WHR were less relevant. Targeted interventions are needed to mitigate CVD risk among market women.