Comparison of body mass index and waist-hip ratio as indicators of obesity and their association with comorbidities in rural and urban areas of Mysuru

Background: At the community level, body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to assess obesity, but several studies have suggested the use of waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) to be better markers of central obesity. Therefore, the present study was proposed to compare BMI and WHR for predicting obesity and their association with comorbidities. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 adults in the urban and rural field practice areas of the Department of Community Medicine, JSS Medical College, Mysuru for a period of 3 months (September to November 2022). House-to-house visits were made to obtain data related to age, gender, comorbid status, and anthropometric measurements after obtaining informed consent. Results: Among 300 study subjects, 189 (63%) were obese according to BMI (Asian Pacific classification), and 255 (85%) had central obesity according to the WHR, (World Health Organization cut-offs). There was a positive correlation between BMI and WHR among participants ( r = 0.403), though 24.3% of those with central obesity had normal BMI. The mean BMI, WC, hip circumference (HC), and WHR of participants with comorbidities were higher than those without comorbidities which was found to be statistically significant (<0.01). Conclusion: Though there was a significant association between BMI and WHR with comorbid status and a positive correlation between BMI and WHR, there is a considerable difference in the proportion of people identified to have central obesity by WHR and classification of obesity by BMI.