Waist circumference and hip circumference as potential predictors of visceral fat estimate among type 2 diabetic patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi-Ghana

Background: Although visceral fat (VF) and its influence on cardiovascular diseases have been extensively studied among diabetic patients, there is a need for an easier, and less expensive but equally good predictor for VF. This study was conducted to assess potential anthropometric measurements that can be directly linked to visceral fat levels among diabetic patients. Method: 405 diabetic patients attending the Diabetic clinic of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi-Ghana were recruited. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain the demographic background and brief medical history. Anthropometric measurements were obtained by direct measurement and visceral fat levels was measured using the Body Composition Monitor (Omron (R) 500, Germany) which generated digital results on a screen. Results: The total participants comprised 81 males and 324 females, with an average age of 58.5 +/- 9.9 years. The females exhibited a higher mean waist circumference (101.4 +/- 12.3 cm) and average hip circumference (104.6 +/- 9.9 cm) than the males. The female participants also had higher body mass index (BMI) (28.3 +/- 5.1 kg/m(2)) compared to males (26.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)). The association between VF and waist circumference was r = 0.631, p < 0.001, followed by hip circumference (r = 0.536; p < 0.001). The significant predictive abilities of waist circumference and hip circumference to identify diabetic patients with high visceral fat were AUC = 0.787; p < 0.001 and AUC = 0.786; p < 0.001, respectively. Conclusion: Waist circumference and hip circumference promise to be potential alternative predictors of visceral fat accumulation in type 2 diabetes.