Anthropometric characteristics in rugby teenagers originating from Pacific ; identifying those at risk for further cardiometabolic issues

Abstract Background Physical activity – including sport is a key of general and cardiovascular prevention. Morbidity and mortality due to metabolic and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases are of major concern among Pacific Islands (PI) population. Rugby is a common sport in these regions and could participate in improving health conditions; however, some anthropometric parameters common in this sport population could be associated with further health problems. Purpose To describe anthropometric characteristics in young male and female rugby players originating from PI and analyse those who could be associated to an increased risk to further metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Methods During march 12 to 29th 2025, we performed a clinical examination associated to ECG and cardiac ultrasound assessment in 82 teenagers (56 male) whom family originated from PI. A written consent was obtained from subjects or parents, as appropriate. Among them, 55, 2 and 25 self-declared to be from Polynesian, Melanesian and mixed origin, respectively. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences were reported with further calculations of Body Mass Index (BMI), Body Surface Area (BSA), Waist to Hip Ratio (WHpR) and Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR). Stratification in normal, overweight or obesity status was performed through current recommendations, using International Obesity Task Force for BMI. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software through Fisher Exact and Mann-Whitney tests. Results are reported as mean +/- standard deviation (SD). Statistical significance was defined for p 0.05. Results Main results are reported in Table 1. Female were younger than male, their weight and height were lower. Importantly, BMI, waist circumference and WtHtR were high without any differences in both genders while WtHpR values were in the normal ranges for both. Referring to BMI, 76,9% of the female and 64,3% of the male were classified as either overweighted or obese, respectively. Moreover, 34,6% of the male and 39,3% of the female were classified as obese; after addition of WHtR, these values were 37.5% for the male and did not change for the female. Adding WHpR did not modify stratification among any groups. Conclusions Among these 82 male and female teenagers, we observed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Such preliminary results may be confirmed through larger cohorts and compared with pairs originating from other world regions; moreover, assessment through other methods such as Impedancemetry or Dual-X-ray Absorpsiometry may help to better classify subjects at cardiometabolic risk. Our work highlights the need for developing strategies aiming to correct these disorders and to plan a medical follow-up in order to improve further metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes of this high-risk population.Table 1For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.