A cross-sectional anthropometric analysis of diabetic patients in a tertiary care facility: Implications for risk assessment and targeted interventions

Abstract

Understanding how body measurements such as Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio correlate with diabetes can provide valuable insights for its management and prevention. This study evaluates the anthropometric parameters of patients with diabetes mellitus attending Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) and assesses their association with diabetes type and risk. This cross-sectional study involved 200 adult patients with diabetes mellitus. Measurements included height, weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio. Descriptive statistics, gender comparisons, Pearson correlation, and logistic regression analyses, using IBM SPSS version 26.0, evaluated the associations between these measurements and diabetes. The mean age of participants was 50.41 years, with a mean BMI of 27.92 and a waist circumference of 94.20 cm. Significant gender differences were observed in age, height, weight, waist and hip measurements, and waist-to-hip ratio (p<0.001). Patients with Type 2 diabetes showed higher anthropometric values than those with Type 1. BMI and waist circumference correlated with diabetes risk (p=0.004), with logistic regression identifying BMI as a significant predictor (p=0.015). Anthropometric factors, particularly BMI and waist circumference, are associated with diabetes risk and can be useful for screening purposes.