Correlation between waist–hip ratio and peripheral oxygen saturation in young adults

Background: Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a key indicator of cardiopulmonary health, with chronic low levels linked to increased mortality. Abdominal adiposity, a major factor in cardiorespiratory diseases, is better indicated by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) than by body mass index, showing a stronger association with cardiopulmonary mortality. However, the impact of WHR on SpO2 is least studied. Hence, this study aimed to explore the correlation between WHR and SpO2 in healthy young adults. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the department of physiology, in a health institute in Odisha, India, after taking ethical approval. Three hundred and four subjects were recruited (male 158, female 146) with the age group of 18–25 years. Waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and WHR were recorded according to the WHO guidelines, and SpO 2 was recorded by pulse oximeter. Statistical analysis was done by unpaired t-test and Pearson’s correlation. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between WHR-SpO 2 (r = −0.437), WC-SpO 2 (r = −0.374), and HC-SpO2 (r = −0.249) among all study subjects. A significant negative correlation was found between WHR-SpO 2 (male, r = −0.343 and female, r = −0.387) and WC-SpO 2 (male, r = −0.277 and female, r = −0.113). Comparison of the mean SpO 2 among below and above cutoff values for WHR, WC, and HC in both sexes showed a significant change. Conclusion: WHR and WC were negatively correlated with SpO 2 in both sexes, while HC-SpO 2 result was not significantly related.