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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Sep 22.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Body Compos Res. 2013;11(3-4):85–96.

Table 6.

Partial Pearson correlations of WC and WHtR versus %TFM to nine CVD risk factors by gender and age group: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004a, b, c.

Blood pressure Fasting and nonfasting blood CVD risk factors Fasting blood CVD risk factors
Gender, age group
and regional body fat		 n SBP
(mmHg)		 DBP
(mmHg)		 n TC
(mg/dL)		 HDL-C
(mg/dL)		 CRP
(mg/dL)		 n TG
(mg/dL)		 LDL-C
(mg/dL)		 Glucose
(mg/dL)		 Insulin
(μU/mL)
Boys
8 - 11 years
   WC (cm) 683 0.29 0.17 859 0.08 −0.37 0.56 - - - - -
   WHtR 683 0.26 0.14 859 0.12 −0.38 0.56 - - - - -
   %TFM 683 0.24 0.22 859 0.14 −0.34 0.58 - - - - -
12 - 19 years
   WC (cm) 2653 0.20* 0.00 3069 0.23* −0.41* 0.50 1370 0.41 0.25 0.15 0.66*
   WHtR 2653 0.16 −0.01 3069 0.27 −0.38 0.50 1370 0.41 0.28 0.14 0.63
   %TFM 2653 0.12 0.00 3069 0.29 −0.35 0.49 1370 0.40 0.30 0.13 0.59
Girls
8 - 11 years
   WC (cm) 479 0.25 0.06 599 0.01 −0.44 0.52 - - - -
   WHtR 479 0.24 0.05 599 0.08 −0.44 0.51 - - - -
   %TFM 479 0.18 0.04 599 0.09 −0.40 0.56 - - - -
12 - 19 years
   WC (cm) 1782 0.18 −0.02 2022 0.07* −0.27 0.49 857 0.20 0.09 0.08 0.54
   WHtR 1782 0.20 −0.03 2022 0.11 −0.29 0.51 857 0.19 0.11 0.07 0.55
   %TFM 1782 0.19 0.00 2022 0.15 −0.25 0.49 857 0.20 0.17 0.05 0.52
a

Abbreviations: WC for waist circumference, WHtR for waist-to-height ratio, %TFM for percent trunk fat mass, CVD for cardiovascular disease, SBP for systolic blood pressure, DBP for diastolic blood pressure, TC for total cholesterol, HDL-C for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, CRP for C-reactive protein, TG for triglycerides, and LDL-C for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

b

All variables were log-transformed except SBP and DBP. Pearson correlation coefficients were adjusted for age in years and race-ethnicity. Survey year (1999-2002 and 2003-2004) was additionally adjusted for in the correlation analyses regarding fasting insulin.

c

Within each gender-age group and CVD risk factor, correlation coefficients of WC and WHtR were respectively compared to that of %TFM. Comparisons were not made between correlation coefficients of WC and WHtR and between gender-age groups.

*

Significantly different from the correlation coefficient between %TFM and CVD risk factor of interest at α = 0.05 level.

†

Significantly different from the correlation coefficient between %TFM and CVD risk factor of interest, P < 0.000195 (equivalent to P < 0.05 after Bonferroni-correction).