Investigation of the relationship between wrist circumference and other anthropometric measurements in obese and non obese children

Objective: Anthropometric measurements are practical methods for the diagnosis and follow-up of obesity. This study aimed to determine the correlation between wrist circumference measurement and obesity in children and adolescents aged 5–18 years, as well as to identify the optimal cut off value, sensitivity, and specificity of wrist circumference measurement. Materials and Methods: During an 18-month period, 164 children (69 boys, 95 girls) aged 5–18 years who applied to the university hospital and had no chronic diseases were included in the study. Height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, wrist circumference, and body fat percentage were measured, and pubertal status was recorded. In obese children, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, and liver enzymes were evaluated. Correlation tests, logistic regression, and ROC analyses were used in statistical analyses. Results: Fifty-nine percent of the participants were in the obese group. Strong positive correlations were found between wrist circumference and BMI-SDS (r = 0,773, p < 0,001), waist circumference (r = 0,894, p < 0,001), and body fat percentage (r = 0,839, p < 0,001). Wrist circumference was significantly higher in obese children (p < 0,001). According to the ROC analysis, wrist circumference had a high diagnostic power in predicting obesity (AUC = 0,89). Each 1 cm increase in wrist circumference increased the likelihood of being obese by approximately 3,3 times (OR = 3,27, p = 0,044). In the pubertal period, the relationships between wrist circumference and obesity parameters were found to be more prominent. The cut off value for wrist circumferences was found to be 15,3 cm (prepubertal) and 17,3 cm (pubertal) in boys, and 14,3 cm (prepubertal) and 16,3 cm (pubertal) in girls. Conclusion: Wrist circumference measurement is an easy to apply, reliable, and low cost method for determining obesity in children and adolescents, both in hospital settings and community screenings. It can be used in clinical practice in addition to BMI and waist circumference. Keywords: Obesity, Child, Adolescent, Wrist circumference, Anthropometry