Factor analysis of traditional cardiovascular risk traits in Punjabi adolescents in India

The accuracy of different anthropometric indices to predict cardiovascular diseases is still debated in adolescent age groups and few data are available in state of Punjab in India. We compared the factor loadings of different anthropometric cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 1530 boys and 1530 girls, adolescents aged 10–18 years were recruited for the present study to identify cardiovascular risk factors. Principal component factor analysis (PCFA) was applied to extract orthogonal components from anthropometric and physiometric variables. Association between components were explained by factor loadings. PCFA reduced 14 risk factors to 4 uncorrelated components that explained 84.06% and 83.15% of total variance among boys, girls and combined subjects respectively. Factor 1 has high loading of the traits that reflects thickness of skinfolds. Comparably, factor 2 is loaded with SBP, DBP and pulse rate. Factor analysis reduced 14 inter-correlated cardiovascular risk factors to 4 newly defined factors. These uncorrelated factors can be interpreted to represent a distinct risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Punjabi adolescents aged 10–18 years.