The Association between Altitude and Waist–Height Ratio in Peruvian Adults: A Cross-Sectional Data Analysis of a Population-Based Survey

Akram Hernández-Vásquez () and Diego Azañedo
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Diego Azañedo: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima 15067, Peru

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-9

Abstract: To evaluate the association between altitude and cardiometabolic risk calculated with the weight–height ratio (WHtR) in the Peruvian adult population via the cross-sectional data analysis of the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey 2021. A total of 26,117 adults from 18 to 64 years of age were included in the analysis. The dependent variable was cardiometabolic risk, defined as “Yes” if the WHtR was ≥0.5 and “No” if the WHtR was <0.5. Exposure was altitude of residence categorized as: <1500 meters above sea level (masl); 1500 to 2499 masl; 2500 to 3499 masl; and ≥3500 masl. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models were used to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The mean WHtR in the population was 0.59 (standard deviation: 0.08), and 87.6% (95% CI: 86.9–88.2) were classified as at risk. After adjusting for sex, age, education level, well-being index, and area of residence, living at altitudes between 2500 and 3499 masl (aPR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–1.00) and ≥3500 masl (aPR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.93–0.97) were associated with lower cardiometabolic risk in comparison with living at <1500 masl. An inverse association was identified between living at a higher altitude and the proportion of cardiometabolic risk in the Peruvian adult population. However, at least 8 out of 10 people were identified as at risk in all categories of altitude.

Keywords: weight–height ratio; altitude; cardiometabolic risk factors; cross-sectional studies; Peru (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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