Association of waist circumference, body mass index, and body surface area with cardio-metabolic risk among children aged between 7 and 11

Background: Body surface area (BSA) is regarded as an accurate measure of metabolic mass because aberrant body mass frequently affects body weight in various therapeutic uses. This study aimed to assess the predictive power of adiposity indicators, namely body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and BSA, in a sample of children aged 7-11 years in Saudi Arabia and the relationship between them. Methods: In this retrospective study, data were collected between 2015 and 2021. This study included children registered as patients at the King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) Cardiac Center. Population data, including age and gender, and main variables, including BMI, WC, BSA, and cardiometabolic disorders, were examined. Results: Dilated cardiomyopathy (9.3%), mitral valve disease (9.3%), palpitations (9.3%), and pulmonary stenosis (9.3%) were the most frequently diagnosed conditions. Regarding the correlation between BSA and BMI, approximately 75% of the children who were overweight and 100% of those who were obese had BSAs that were noticeably above average. Additionally, there was a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.001) between below-average BSA and underweight status in 87.5% of the children. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation (rho = 0.860, p < 0.001) between BSA and BMI. Conclusion: The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the relationship between BMI, BSA, gender, and cardiovascular disease diagnosis in children, highlighting the importance of holistic assessments in pediatric cardiovascular care.