Intra- and inter-rater reliability of abdominal circumference

Intra- and inter-rater reliability of abdominal circumference

Authors

  • Carliane da Silva Balbino Author
  • Juçara Nunes Lacerda Author
  • Reginalda Bezerra de Araújo Costa Author
  • Ricardo Wandson Macedo  Franco Author
  • Wanessa Jaira do Rêgo  Silva Author
  • Antonio Carlos Leal Cortez Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e UNIRIO Author
  • Nelson Agapito Brandão Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51473/rcmos.v1i2.2025.1698

Keywords:

Abdominal circumference, visceral fat, cardiometabolic risk, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular mortality.

Abstract

Abdominal circumference (AC) is an important anthropometric indicator for assessing cardiometabolic risk, as it measures the accumulation of visceral fat, which is associated with insulin resistance, lipid alterations, hypertension, and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Studies show that abdominal fat is a more effective predictor of mortality and chronic diseases than body mass index (BMI). AC is easy to measure, recommended by organizations such as WHO and IDF, and useful in clinical and public health settings. Its accuracy depends on standardized measurement techniques, and its assessment aids early risk detection and interventions to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Antonio Carlos Leal Cortez, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e UNIRIO

    Doutor em Biociências pela Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – UNIRIO - ORCID:    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8387-5026  ; Nelson Agapito Brandão Rios - Pós-graduando em Estatística Computacional Aplicada pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-2286

  • Nelson Agapito Brandão

    Orientador

References

ALBERTI, K. G. M. M. et al. Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome: a joint interim statement of the IDF Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; NHLBI; AHA; WHF; IAS; and IASO. Circulation, v. 120, p. 1640–1645, 2009.

ANDROUTSOS, O. et al. Intra- and inter-observer reliability of anthropometric measurements and blood pressure in primary schoolchildren and adults: the Feel4Diabetes-study. BMC Endocrine Disorders, v. 20, n. 1, p. 1–12, 2020.

CHEN, P.; SMITH, J.; WANG, L. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of waist circumference measurement. International Journal of Obesity, v. 25, n. 2, p. 228–232, 2001.

DESPRÉS, J. P. Body fat distribution and risk of cardiovascular disease: an update. Circulation, v. 126, n. 10, p. 1301–1313, 2012.

FRISANCHO, A. R. Anthropometric standards for the assessment of growth and nutritional status. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2008.

GARCÍA, M.; PÉREZ, J.; SÁNCHEZ, L. Comparing intra- and interobserver error in abdominal circumference among obese adults. Revista Española de Salud Pública, v. 96, e20220123, 2022.

GARROW, J. S.; WEBSTER, J. Quetelet’s index (W/H²) as a measure of fatness. International Journal of Obesity, v. 9, n. 2, p. 147–153, 1985.

GIBSON, R. S. Principles of nutritional assessment. 2. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

JANSSEN, I.; KATZMARZYK, P. T.; ROSS, R. Waist circumference and not BMI explains obesity-related health risk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, v. 79, n. 3, p. 379–384, 2002.

KAWAJI, K.; TANAKA, H.; YAMAMOTO, R. Accuracy of waist circumference measurement using WHO vs NIH protocol. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, v. 15, n. 2, p. 172–179, 2021.

LEAN, M. E.; HAN, T. S.; SEIDELL, J. C. Impairment of health due to obesity: the role of anthropometric measurements. International Journal of Obesity, v. 42, n. 5, p. 1210–1220, 2018.

LINDEMANN, C.; SCHMIDT, H.; KLEIN, A. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of waist and hip circumference in adolescents. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, v. 69, n. 5, p. 603–609, 2015.

LOHMAN, T. G.; ROCHE, A. F. Technical error of measurement in anthropometry and reliability of waist measures. Human Kinetics Journal, v. 12, n. 3, p. 45–52, 2011.

MARTINS, R.; SANTOS, L.; PEREIRA, T. Training and standardization of waist circumference measurement in epidemiological surveys. Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia, v. 26, e230045, 2023.

MC CARTHY, H. D. et al. Body fat reference curves for children. International Journal of Obesity, v. 25, n. 2, p. 279–284, 2001.

NANA, A.; SLATER, G. J.; MORGAN, C. Inter- and intra-rater reliability of waist circumference measurement sites. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, v. 69, n. 6, p. 651–655, 2015.

NORTON, K.; OLDERSHAW, S.; WHITTINGTON, J. Anthropometrica: a textbook of body measurement for sports and health courses. Sydney: UNSW Press, 2010.

PERSSON, M.; KARLSSON, J.; ANDERSSON, B. Observer variability in anthropometric measurements and implications for epidemiology. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, v. 72, n. 6, p. 521–526, 2018.

POULIOT, M. C. et al. Waist circumference and abdominal sagittal diameter: best simple anthropometric indexes of abdominal visceral adipose tissue accumulation and related cardiovascular risk in men and women. American Journal of Cardiology, v. 73, n. 7, p. 460–468, 1994.

RANASINGHE, W.; FERNANDO, D.; JAYASINGHE, S. Reliability of waist circumference and body composition assessment in clinical practice. Nutrition Journal, v. 12, n. 1, p. 1–9, 2013.

ROSS, R.; NEELAND, I. J.; YUMUK, V. Waist circumference as a vital sign in clinical practice: a consensus statement from the IAS and ICCR working group on visceral obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, v. 16, p. 177–189, 2020.

SANTOS, D.; PEREIRA, L.; COSTA, A. Training effect on anthropometric measurement reliability in epidemiological studies. Journal of Human Kinetics, v. 65, p. 123–134, 2019.

SHI, Y. et al. Systematic review of waist measurement sites for estimating visceral adipose tissue. Obesity Reviews, v. 18, n. 5, p. 610–620, 2017.

TAYLOR, R. W. et al. Inter-observer reliability of waist circumference measurements in adults. International Journal of Obesity, v. 34, n. 3, p. 451–458, 2010.

VERWEIJ, L. M.; KLEIN, M.; HOFMEIJER, M. Measurement error of waist circumference: gaps in knowledge. Public Health Nutrition, v. 16, n. 2, p. 281–288, 2012.

WANG, X.; LI, H.; ZHOU, Y. Influence of measurement protocol on waist circumference reliability. Journal of Clinical Densitometry, v. 22, n. 2, p. 210–216, 2019.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO). Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation. Geneva: WHO, 2011.

Published

2025-11-18

How to Cite

BALBINO , Carliane da Silva; LACERDA , Juçara Nunes; COSTA , Reginalda Bezerra de Araújo; FRANCO , Ricardo Wandson Macedo ; SILVA , Wanessa Jaira do Rêgo ; CORTEZ, Antonio Carlos Leal; BRANDÃO, Nelson Agapito. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of abdominal circumference: Intra- and inter-rater reliability of abdominal circumference. Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal The Knowledge, Brasil, v. 1, n. 2, 2025. DOI: 10.51473/rcmos.v1i2.2025.1698. Disponível em: https://submissoesrevistarcmos.com.br/rcmos/article/view/1698. Acesso em: 19 nov. 2025.