Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger

Garba Balarabe Maimouna; Almou Abdoulaye Alio; Salifou Alkassoum; Adehossi Eric; Sabo Seini Haoua; Sadou Hassimi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger

Garba Balarabe Maimouna^*, Almou Abdoulaye Alio

, Salifou Alkassoum, Adehossi Eric, Sabo Seini Haoua, Sadou Hassimi

Published in American Journal of Health Research (Volume 14, Issue 1)

Received: 19 November 2025 Accepted: 18 December 2025 Published: 16 January 2026

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Abstract

Overweight and obesity during adolescence are a global public health concern due to their potential impact on health and their increasing prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of waist circumference and BMI in predicting obesity among adolescents attending public and private schools in Niamey (Niger). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving secondary school students aged 11 to 17. The survey is conducted from 1 April to 30 June 2021. For each student, weight, height and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The 420 students enrolled, 193 were girls, giving a sex ratio (boys/girls) of 1.17. The average weight is 47.69±13.71kg. The average weight of girls is 49.66±13.57, ranging from 20 to 121kg. The average weight of boys is 46.01±13.62, ranging from 22 to 129.4kg. In girls, waist circumference increases between the ages of 12 and 15, from 60.90±12.93cm to 64.41±11.94cm, peaks at age 16 (67.38±9.58cm) and then decreases to 65.81±8.62cm at age 17. Among boys, the trend is also upward between the ages of 12 (58.63±5.63cm) and 17 (63.75±8.55cm). The waist-to-height ratio decreases between the ages of 12 and 17, with a rebound at age 16 for both girls and boys. In boys, the WHtR decreases from 0.44±0.00 at age 12 to 0.39±0.04 at age 15, rises to 0.41±0.05 at age 16 and then falls to 0.39±0.05 at age 17. The decrease in WHtR during adolescence is very significant (p=0.02). Girls are 2.35 times more likely to be overweight than boys (p=0.29). Overweight is a public health problem among adolescents in schools. It would be beneficial to integrate nutrition education into school curricula at an early stage. This could be an effective strategy with a long-term impact on reducing the prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in Niger.

Published in	American Journal of Health Research (Volume 14, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
Page(s)	1-10
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Obesity, Overweight, BMI, Waist Circumference

References

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Maimouna, G. B., Alio, A. A., Alkassoum, S., Eric, A., Haoua, S. S., et al. (2026). Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. American Journal of Health Research, 14(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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Maimouna, G. B.; Alio, A. A.; Alkassoum, S.; Eric, A.; Haoua, S. S., et al. Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. Am. J. Health Res. 2026, 14(1), 1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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Maimouna GB, Alio AA, Alkassoum S, Eric A, Haoua SS, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. Am J Health Res. 2026;14(1):1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11,
  author = {Garba Balarabe Maimouna and Almou Abdoulaye Alio and Salifou Alkassoum and Adehossi Eric and Sabo Seini Haoua and Sadou Hassimi},
  title = {Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger},
  journal = {American Journal of Health Research},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-10},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  abstract = {Overweight and obesity during adolescence are a global public health concern due to their potential impact on health and their increasing prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of waist circumference and BMI in predicting obesity among adolescents attending public and private schools in Niamey (Niger). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving secondary school students aged 11 to 17. The survey is conducted from 1 April to 30 June 2021. For each student, weight, height and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The 420 students enrolled, 193 were girls, giving a sex ratio (boys/girls) of 1.17. The average weight is 47.69±13.71kg. The average weight of girls is 49.66±13.57, ranging from 20 to 121kg. The average weight of boys is 46.01±13.62, ranging from 22 to 129.4kg. In girls, waist circumference increases between the ages of 12 and 15, from 60.90±12.93cm to 64.41±11.94cm, peaks at age 16 (67.38±9.58cm) and then decreases to 65.81±8.62cm at age 17. Among boys, the trend is also upward between the ages of 12 (58.63±5.63cm) and 17 (63.75±8.55cm). The waist-to-height ratio decreases between the ages of 12 and 17, with a rebound at age 16 for both girls and boys. In boys, the WHtR decreases from 0.44±0.00 at age 12 to 0.39±0.04 at age 15, rises to 0.41±0.05 at age 16 and then falls to 0.39±0.05 at age 17. The decrease in WHtR during adolescence is very significant (p=0.02). Girls are 2.35 times more likely to be overweight than boys (p=0.29). Overweight is a public health problem among adolescents in schools. It would be beneficial to integrate nutrition education into school curricula at an early stage. This could be an effective strategy with a long-term impact on reducing the prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in Niger.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger
AU  - Garba Balarabe Maimouna
AU  - Almou Abdoulaye Alio
AU  - Salifou Alkassoum
AU  - Adehossi Eric
AU  - Sabo Seini Haoua
AU  - Sadou Hassimi
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
T2  - American Journal of Health Research
JF  - American Journal of Health Research
JO  - American Journal of Health Research
SP  - 1
EP  - 10
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8796
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
AB  - Overweight and obesity during adolescence are a global public health concern due to their potential impact on health and their increasing prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of waist circumference and BMI in predicting obesity among adolescents attending public and private schools in Niamey (Niger). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving secondary school students aged 11 to 17. The survey is conducted from 1 April to 30 June 2021. For each student, weight, height and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The 420 students enrolled, 193 were girls, giving a sex ratio (boys/girls) of 1.17. The average weight is 47.69±13.71kg. The average weight of girls is 49.66±13.57, ranging from 20 to 121kg. The average weight of boys is 46.01±13.62, ranging from 22 to 129.4kg. In girls, waist circumference increases between the ages of 12 and 15, from 60.90±12.93cm to 64.41±11.94cm, peaks at age 16 (67.38±9.58cm) and then decreases to 65.81±8.62cm at age 17. Among boys, the trend is also upward between the ages of 12 (58.63±5.63cm) and 17 (63.75±8.55cm). The waist-to-height ratio decreases between the ages of 12 and 17, with a rebound at age 16 for both girls and boys. In boys, the WHtR decreases from 0.44±0.00 at age 12 to 0.39±0.04 at age 15, rises to 0.41±0.05 at age 16 and then falls to 0.39±0.05 at age 17. The decrease in WHtR during adolescence is very significant (p=0.02). Girls are 2.35 times more likely to be overweight than boys (p=0.29). Overweight is a public health problem among adolescents in schools. It would be beneficial to integrate nutrition education into school curricula at an early stage. This could be an effective strategy with a long-term impact on reducing the prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in Niger.
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Garba Balarabe Maimouna

Departement of Chemistry, Abdou Momoumouni University, Niamey, Niger

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Almou Abdoulaye Alio

Departement of Chemistry, Abdou Momoumouni University, Niamey, Niger

http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4977-4912
Salifou Alkassoum

Departement of Medecine and Medical Specialy, Abdou Moumouni University, Niamey, Niger
Adehossi Eric

Departement of Medecine and Medical Specialy, Abdou Moumouni University, Niamey, Niger
Sabo Seini Haoua

Departement of Chemistry, Abdou Momoumouni University, Niamey, Niger
Sadou Hassimi

Departement of Chemistry, Abdou Momoumouni University, Niamey, Niger

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Maimouna, G. B., Alio, A. A., Alkassoum, S., Eric, A., Haoua, S. S., et al. (2026). Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. American Journal of Health Research, 14(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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Maimouna, G. B.; Alio, A. A.; Alkassoum, S.; Eric, A.; Haoua, S. S., et al. Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. Am. J. Health Res. 2026, 14(1), 1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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Maimouna GB, Alio AA, Alkassoum S, Eric A, Haoua SS, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger. Am J Health Res. 2026;14(1):1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11,
  author = {Garba Balarabe Maimouna and Almou Abdoulaye Alio and Salifou Alkassoum and Adehossi Eric and Sabo Seini Haoua and Sadou Hassimi},
  title = {Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger},
  journal = {American Journal of Health Research},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-10},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhr.20261401.11},
  abstract = {Overweight and obesity during adolescence are a global public health concern due to their potential impact on health and their increasing prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of waist circumference and BMI in predicting obesity among adolescents attending public and private schools in Niamey (Niger). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving secondary school students aged 11 to 17. The survey is conducted from 1 April to 30 June 2021. For each student, weight, height and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The 420 students enrolled, 193 were girls, giving a sex ratio (boys/girls) of 1.17. The average weight is 47.69±13.71kg. The average weight of girls is 49.66±13.57, ranging from 20 to 121kg. The average weight of boys is 46.01±13.62, ranging from 22 to 129.4kg. In girls, waist circumference increases between the ages of 12 and 15, from 60.90±12.93cm to 64.41±11.94cm, peaks at age 16 (67.38±9.58cm) and then decreases to 65.81±8.62cm at age 17. Among boys, the trend is also upward between the ages of 12 (58.63±5.63cm) and 17 (63.75±8.55cm). The waist-to-height ratio decreases between the ages of 12 and 17, with a rebound at age 16 for both girls and boys. In boys, the WHtR decreases from 0.44±0.00 at age 12 to 0.39±0.04 at age 15, rises to 0.41±0.05 at age 16 and then falls to 0.39±0.05 at age 17. The decrease in WHtR during adolescence is very significant (p=0.02). Girls are 2.35 times more likely to be overweight than boys (p=0.29). Overweight is a public health problem among adolescents in schools. It would be beneficial to integrate nutrition education into school curricula at an early stage. This could be an effective strategy with a long-term impact on reducing the prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in Niger.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Comparative Evaluation of Waist Circumference, Waist-to-height Ratio and BMI for Predicting Obesity in Adolescents in Niamey, Niger
AU  - Garba Balarabe Maimouna
AU  - Almou Abdoulaye Alio
AU  - Salifou Alkassoum
AU  - Adehossi Eric
AU  - Sabo Seini Haoua
AU  - Sadou Hassimi
Y1  - 2026/01/16
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
T2  - American Journal of Health Research
JF  - American Journal of Health Research
JO  - American Journal of Health Research
SP  - 1
EP  - 10
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-8796
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20261401.11
AB  - Overweight and obesity during adolescence are a global public health concern due to their potential impact on health and their increasing prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of waist circumference and BMI in predicting obesity among adolescents attending public and private schools in Niamey (Niger). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving secondary school students aged 11 to 17. The survey is conducted from 1 April to 30 June 2021. For each student, weight, height and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The 420 students enrolled, 193 were girls, giving a sex ratio (boys/girls) of 1.17. The average weight is 47.69±13.71kg. The average weight of girls is 49.66±13.57, ranging from 20 to 121kg. The average weight of boys is 46.01±13.62, ranging from 22 to 129.4kg. In girls, waist circumference increases between the ages of 12 and 15, from 60.90±12.93cm to 64.41±11.94cm, peaks at age 16 (67.38±9.58cm) and then decreases to 65.81±8.62cm at age 17. Among boys, the trend is also upward between the ages of 12 (58.63±5.63cm) and 17 (63.75±8.55cm). The waist-to-height ratio decreases between the ages of 12 and 17, with a rebound at age 16 for both girls and boys. In boys, the WHtR decreases from 0.44±0.00 at age 12 to 0.39±0.04 at age 15, rises to 0.41±0.05 at age 16 and then falls to 0.39±0.05 at age 17. The decrease in WHtR during adolescence is very significant (p=0.02). Girls are 2.35 times more likely to be overweight than boys (p=0.29). Overweight is a public health problem among adolescents in schools. It would be beneficial to integrate nutrition education into school curricula at an early stage. This could be an effective strategy with a long-term impact on reducing the prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases in Niger.
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

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