Waist circumference percentiles for Hispanic-American children and comparison with other international references

Data were collected from healthy children (6 to 18 years old) from public schools of middle and low socioeconomic levels in different parts of Argentina, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela. The LMS method was applied to calculate smoothed percentiles depending on age and sex groups. Comparisons were established with references from the United States, Colombia, India, China, Australia, Kuwait, Germany, Tunisia, Greece, and Portugal. Waist circumference constitutes an indirect measurement of central obesity in children and adolescents. The aim was to provide percentiles of WC for Hispanic-American children and adolescents, and compare them with other international references.