Abstract
[Purpose] We examined the relationship between waist circumference (WC) and accumulated abdominal fat measured by ultrasonography in healthy adult men. [Subjects] The study subjects were 20 healthy men. [Methods] The measured items were maximum preperitoneal fat thickness (PFT), minimum subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), and WC. PFT and SFT were measured by ultrasonography. Associations between PFT, SFT, and WC were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Study subjects were divided into two groups: those with WC < 85 cm and those with WC ≥ 85 cm. This cut-off was based on Japanese reference values. These groups were then compared for differences in PFT using the independent-sample t test. [Results] There was a moderately significant correlation between PFT and WC (r = 0.56, p < 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant correlation between SFT and WC (r = 0.15; p = 0.52). Furthermore, the group with WC ≥ 85 cm had higher PFT values than the group with WC< 85 cm. [Conclusion] Our findings support the hypothesis that WC is a simple anthropometric index of intra-abdominal fat accumulation in healthy adult men.
