Anthropometric indices of obesity and hypertension among adults in a primary care setting of an urban tertiary hospital in northcentral Nigeria

Obesity has been linked as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease including hypertension. Varying patterns of this relationship exists across race, ethnic group and geographical location. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist hip ratio (WHR) are simple methods of assessing obesity. This study aimed to assess obesity using BMI, WC and WHR, and to examine the respective relationships with hypertension. In a hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study, 556 adult out-patients were recruited and relevant data was collected from them. Data was analysed using Epi info 7 statistical software package. Confidence interval of 95% and significance level of <0.05 was applied. According to BMI cut-offs, 60% of the subjects were overweight and obese; by WC cut-offs, 65.5% of the subjects were in the increased risk and high risk category; and abnormal WHR was found in 57.4% of the subjects. Fifty-three percent of the total population were hypertensive. Subjects with abnormal BMI, WC and WHR made up 76%, 81% and 72% of the hypertensive population respectively. There was significant correlation between anthropometric indices (BMI, WC and WHR) and hypertension (p=<0.05). All three methods were useful in assessing obesity and correlating obesity with hypertension.