Abstract
Obesity rates are increasing worldwide; however, the body mass index (BMI) may not effectively reflect abdominal adiposity. The waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a more straightforward measure that may more accurately indicate central adiposity; however, research on this among Pakistani medical students is scarce. This study analyzed BMI and WHtR in evaluating abdominal obesity among medical and dental students. From June to September, 2022, A cross sectional study was conducted at Faisalabad Medical University in Pakistan with 328 Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery students selected randomly from different classes. A comprehensive questionnaire and standardized anthropometric measurements were employed. BMI was assessed using international and Asia-Pacific criteria. A WHtR ≥ 0.5 indicates abdominal obesity. Chi-squared test in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to look for correlations. 18.5% of students were considered overweight or obese based on international BMI standards, while 33.8% were considered overweight or obese based on Asia-Pacific standards. On the other hand, WHtR said that 30.8% of students were abdominally obese, even though some of them had a normal BMI. Girls were more likely to have abdominal obesity, while boys were more likely to be overweight or obese in overall. It indicates that BMI underrepresents abdominal obesity relative to WHtR. WHtR seems to be a simpler and more dependable way to screen. The WHtR is a useful tool for finding metabolic risk in young adults, and it should be used regularly in student health campaigns.