Ability of body mass index and waist circumference to identify risk factors for non-communicable disease in the Pacific Islands

SummaryBody mass index and waist circumference are widely used tools to identify risk of non-communicable diseases. Research has indicated that the risk relationships differ by ethnicity. In this study, data from chronic disease surveys in Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Wallis and Futuna were merged and analysed using receiver operator curves. The action points for body mass index and waist circumference with the highest specificity and sensitivity for identifying the risk of NCDs were identified. The analysis showed considerable differences between Melanesians and other Pacific Islanders, and also gender differences. Action points for non-Melanesians were higher than for Melanesians, and region-wide values are therefore inappropriate.