Accuracy of different cutoffs of the waist‐to‐height ratio as a screening tool for cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies

• Published in: Obesity reviews 2022-02, Vol.23 (2), p.e13375-n/a
• Main Authors: Ezzatvar, Yasmin, Izquierdo, Mikel, Ramírez‐Vélez, Robinson, Pozo Cruz, Borja, García‐Hermoso, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Adolescents; anthropometric index; Biomarkers; Body height; Body measurements; Children; Cross-sectional studies; diagnostic test; Diagnostic tests; Health risks; Medical diagnosis; Meta-analysis; Metabolic syndrome; receiver‐operating characteristic curve; Systematic review; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1467-7881; 1467-789X
• DOI: 10.1111/obr.13375

Summary The present systematic review with meta‐analysis sought to estimate the accuracy of different waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) cutoff ranges as risk indicators for cardiometabolic health in different populations of children and adolescents. Systematic searches were undertaken to identify studies in apparently healthy participants aged 3–18 years that conducted receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and reported area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for WHtR with any cardiometabolic biomarker. Forty‐one cross‐sectional studies were included in the meta‐analysis, including 138,561 young individuals (50% girls). Higher area under summary receiver operating characteristic (AUSROC) values were observed in cutoffs between 0.46 and 0.50 (AUSROC = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.80–0.86) and ≥0.51 (AUSROC = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.84–0.90) (p