Association Between the Neck Circumference and the Body Mass Index of Nigerian University Students

Abstract Background: Accurate measurement of obesity is required to mitigate associated health risks, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. This study purposed to ascertain whether neck circumference (NC) is a reliable indicator of obesity by determining its correlation with body mass index (BMI) in the Delta State of Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 384 university students (204 females and 180 males) aged from 18 to 30 years. Ethical approval was sought and thereafter, participants’ height, weight, and NC were measured. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 27.0). Gender variances were assessed using the Student’s unpaired t test, and correlations between continuous variables were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Significance was set at a 95% confidence level. Results: Males had significantly greater height and weight ( P < 0.05), whereas females had significantly higher BMI and NC than males ( P < 0.05). All variables showed significant differences across the three age groups evaluated ( P < 0.05). NC exhibited a significant strong positive correlation with weight and BMI ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows a significant strong positive association between the NC and BMI providing clinicians in the study area a simple, time-efficient, and cost-effective proxy indicator for central obesity, a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other health issues.