Development of the Abdominal and Gluteal (Waist and Hip) Circumferences in Adulthood

Overview

Background.
Abdominal and gluteal (waist and hip) circumferences are accepted as indicators of central fatdistribution and abdominal (waist) circumference is generally regarded as a simple anthropometric measure ofvisceral fat distribution.Methods and Results. In the years 1987-1988 there was carried out an anthropometric survey on the region offormer Czechoslovakia. Crossover study was performed in 16 400 of adult men and women aged from 20 to morethan 70 years on the basis of the three level random sample. Except for many other anthropometric measures,abdominal and gluteal (waist and hip) circumferences were assessed according to Martin (M62/1; M64/1). The resultsshow that gluteal (hip) circumference is longer than a abdominal (waist) circumference in adulthood similarly as inchildhood. Abdominal circumference is larger in men than in women in agreement with sexual dimorphism.Abdominal circumference is not significantly different in Czech and Slovak men and Czech and Slovak women.Nevertheless, abdominal circumference in Slovak women increases to maximum at the beginning of their fifth decadeand then decreases concurrently with lowering of BMI. In Czech women increase in abdominal circumference laststill seventh decade. This difference can result from the earlier involution in Slovak women. Maximal intersexualdifference is found at the beginning of the third decade (21-25 years) and at the end of follow-up in both populations.Conclusions. Gluteal (hip) circumference is not significantly different in men and women to the half of the forthdecade in both Czech and Slovak populations. In following decades it is markedly longer in women probably due tothe higher accumulation of subcutaneous fat. In the second part of seventh decade in Czech population and aboutfive years earlier in the Slovak group the average circumference in men decreases. This change can be caused bythe age involution of adipose tissue. The examined data were constructed into percentile nets of the abdominal andgluteal circumferences for both men and women and Czech and Slovak populations.

Key words:
development in adulthood, abdominal circumference, waist circumference, gluteal circumference,