Discriminatory Ability of Adiposity Phenotypes in Identifying Cardiometabolic Disorders in Indigenous and Non-indigenous African Populations

Background: Whether any of the anthropometric indices are associated with cardiometabolic outcomes in indigenous Fulani African populations is not known. This study assesses anthropometric indices in predicting cardiometabolic outcomes in indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study recruited 1921 participants from the settled Fulani, nomadic pastoral Fulani and the general population. Body weight (BW), height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) were measured and body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), Conicity Index (Cindex), body adiposity index (BAI), body roundness index (BRI) and body shape index (ABSI) were determined. The associations of anthropometric indices with cardiometabolic disorders were assessed by multivariable adjusted logistic regression and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve compared the predictive abilities. Results: In women, BW and BMI showed good performance in identifying dysglycaemia in Fulbe and general population. In men, WC, HC and BRI, and WC and BRI had good performance in all groups to predict hypertension and dysglycaemia/hypertension respectively. All the anthropometric indices showed good performance to identify MetS. Conclusion: With transition from nomadic to settled life indigenous Fulani are at greater risk for MetS. Adiposity indices for identification of cardiometabolic disorders vary by ethnicity and sex. WC, WHtR and BRI are better anthropometric indices to identify MetS in indigenous Fulani population.