Neck Circumference, a Screening Tool for Obesity in Newly Pubescent Children-A Case Study

Abstract

“Childhood Obesity and its co-morbidities is considered as a prime health hitch that lay up consideration among the public health society. Obesity and above the over weight has bagged the fifth position in the global risk for mortality. The obesity shows a very early onset in life which has laid the utmost importance in the prevention of it among the children. Neck circumference is being considered as the marker of upper body subcutaneous tissue distribution. Aim: The main objective is to evaluate the association between neck circumference and obesity among the children. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study conducted between the periods of august 2019 - September 2019, among 150 male + 129 female students, aged 11 to 18 years. Anthropometric markers of obesity- body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), Hip circumference (HC), waist hip ratio (WHR), neck circumference (NC) were collected. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to compute the neck circumference with other obesity indices. Results: The mean BMI was 27.70±1.27 kg/m² and 27.72±2.12 kg/m², mean neck circumference was 35.42±2.26 cm and 32.85±1.92 in above the over weight /obesity boys + girls respectively. The hip circumference in boys was found to be greater than girls, which is higher in above the over weight /obesity students with P<0.001. Neck circumference shows a strong positive correlation with other anthropometric measures BMI, WC, HC in boys and girls (P<0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed that the weight increase in school children and need to aware the parents.