Toward establishing normal waist circumference in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (Arab) populations. Cutoff values for waist circumference in Iraqi adults

Background: Determination of cutoff points for waist circumference (WC) is of paramount importance for prevention, optimum management, and prognosis of obesity, the metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease. The aim of this project was to establish cut-off levels for waist circumference in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (Arab) populations in Basrah, Iraq. Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional survey for establishing normal value of WC from one district in Basrah (Abu-Al-khasib). A multiple stratified sampling procedure was used for sample selection. Results: The cutoff level yielding the maximal sensitivity plus specificity for predicting the presence of multiple risk factors was 97cm in men and 99 cm in women. Sensitivity and specificity using these cut-off values were 70% and 50% respectively in men and 70% and 45% respectively in women. Conclusion: We propose an optimal cutoff point of WC for the diagnosis of MetS in the Iraqi population: 99 cm in women and 97 men. (Int J Diabetes Metab 15:14-16, 2007)