BMC Public Health 2006, 6:228 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/6/228 2FA0igg0eu3-arCdejau1msterdopoanrtBiaulrcdoernreolfatDioianbceoteesffiBcaiesneltinaemSounrgveaynthropometric measures in urban adults of Cameroon. Findings of the Age-adjusted partial correlation coefficient among anthropometric measures in urban adults of Cameroon. Findings of the 2003 Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey. All coefficients significantly different to zero (P < 0.05). WC (Waist Circumference in cm), HC (Hip Circumference in cm), BMI (Body Mass Index in kg/m2), WHR (Waist-to- Hip Ratio). group WC and WHR give a similar prevalence of obesity in both sexes, but in men BMI provides the highest preva- lence estimate, whilst in women it provides the lowest. In the >55 yrs age group WC provided the highest prevalence of obesity in men (though similar to the prevalences using BMI and WHR), while WHR yielded the highest preva- lence in women (66.5%), much greater than BMI (24.2%). Overall, using BMI provided the highest preva- lence of obesity in men (6.5%) and WHR the lowest (3.2%), while WHR and WC yielded the highest preva- lence of obesity in women (28%) and BMI the lowest (19.5%). Age-adjusted anthropometric measurements by BMI and WHR categories The gender specific age-adjusted mean anthropometric measurements of the study participants, according to BMI and WHR categories are displayed in Table 3. The mean Table 2: Prevalence of obesity by body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio in adult men and women aged 15 and above. Findings of the 2003 Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey Age groups Men 15 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55+ Total Women 15 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55+ Total n 2116 558 509 563 3746 3328 1156 631 593 5708 BMI WC WHR Overweight Obese Overweight Obese Overweight Obese 15.9 32.8 34.4 29.0 21.6 27.8 31.7 28.3 27.9 28.6 2.3 13.6 15.5 13.0 6.5 11.8 33.5 41.4 24.2 19.5 1.7 13.7 20.1 16.7 7.5 20.3 24.0 20.6 21.2 21.1 0.9 8.9 14.7 14.7 5.5 16.5 46.2 55.8 47.1 28.1 5.7 30.3 46.2 47.8 17.8 25.0 25.4 20.6 18.7 24.3 0.8 4.1 8.2 11.9 3.2 18.5 38.9 53.1 66.5 28.8 BMI: Body Mass Index. Overweight was defined as BMI between 25–29.9 and obesity as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 in men and women. WC: Waist Circumference. Overweight was defined based on WC 94–101.9 cm and 80–87.9 in men and women respectively and obesity based on WC ≥ 102 cm in men and ≥ 88 cm in women. WHR: Waist-to-hip ratio was defined based on WHR 0.90–0.99 and WHR 0.80–0.84 in men and women respectively and obesity based on WHR ≥ 1 in men and ≥ 0.85 in women) Page 4 of 8 (page number not for citation purposes)