Waist Circumference, Relative Fat Mass Index, and BMI as Classifiers of Diabetes Status: A Comparative, Cross-sectional Analysis in 82 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors' conclusion
WC and RFM outperformed BMI as classifiers of diabetes status among adults with a BMI of 18.5-29.9 kg/m2 across 82 LMICs.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥25 years with BMI 18.5–29.9 kg/m², nationally representative surveys in 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
- Participants
- 598,883 adults82 LMICs
- Exposure
- Waist circumference (WC) vs relative fat mass (RFM) vs BMI as classifiers of diabetes status
- Outcome
- Diabetes: associations with anthropometric measures as risk ratios (Poisson regression) and AUC
Methodological detailspooled individual-level data from nationally representative surveys, stratified by sex and geographic region
- Pooled individual-level data from nationally representative surveys
- Stratified by sex and geographic region
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AUC for diabetes status
| Group | AUC, men | AUC, women |
|---|---|---|
| WC | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| RFM | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| BMI | 0.64 | 0.63 |
AUC, men
WC0.69
RFM0.69
BMI0.64
AUC, women
WC0.69
RFM0.69
BMI0.63
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Pooled diabetes prevalence
- 9.1% (95% CI 8.51-9.68)
Original publication
Waist Circumference, Relative Fat Mass Index, and BMI as Classifiers of Diabetes Status: A Comparative, Cross-sectional Analysis in 82 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Diabetes Care. Published 20 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →