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. 2022 Aug 9:10:e13590.
doi: 10.7717/peerj.13590. eCollection 2022.

Accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity to identify high blood pressure in adolescents-systematic review

Leandro Lima Borges  1 , Tiago Rodrigues de Lima  1 , Diego Augusto Santos Silva  1
Affiliations

Accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity to identify high blood pressure in adolescents-systematic review

Leandro Lima Borges et al. PeerJ. .

Abstract

Background: Anthropometric indicators of obesity have been associated with blood pressure in adolescents. However, the accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity for screening for high blood pressure (HBP) in adolescents is not known. Thus, the aim of the present study was to summarize the set of evidence regarding the predictive ability of anthropometric indicators of obesity to identify HBP in adolescents.

Methods: Searches were performed in five databases: MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Scientific Electronic online (SciELO) and SportDiscus. The inclusion criteria for studies were: adolescents aged 10-19 years or mean age included in this range, observational and intervention studies, studies that proposed cutoff points for anthropometric indicators of obesity, and studies in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the QUADAS-2 instrument.

Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and had their information summarized. Based on the information described in these studies, the anthropometric indicators body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height-ratio (WHtR), triceps skinfold thickness, body adiposity index, C index, body mass, waist-to-arm span ratio, arm fat area, average arm perimeter, fat percentage and arm span were likely to be used in high blood pressure (HBP) screening among adolescents. However, only one study showed acceptable values (moderate to high precision) in relation to the accuracy measurements of described cutoffs.

Conclusion: Caution is suggested in the use of anthropometric indicators of obesity for HBP screening in adolescents, in which a greater number of studies with accurate diagnostic tools are necessary.

Keywords: Anthropometric indicators; Body weight; High blood pressure; Hypertension; Precision; Young adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare there are no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flowchart of the systematic search for studies whose objective was to propose cutoff points for anthropometric indicators of obesity to predict HBP in adolescents.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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