Waist circumference, BMI, and lung function in 8-year-old children:The PIAMA birth cohort study

Background Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) may be associated with lung function in children, as observed in adults. Methods Height, weight, waist circumference, and lung function (FVC and FEV1) were measured during a medical examination in 1,058 eight-year-old children participating in the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) birth cohort study. Results After adjusting for height, age and other potential confounders large WC or high BMI (>90th percentile) were not associated with forced expiratory volume in 1sec (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC). In girls only, large WC was, independently of BMI, associated with 3.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): -6.4, -0.6) lower FEV1/FVC ratio in the model including WC and BMI. Girls with low BMI (