A cross-sectional study to correlate Anthropometric Indices With HOMA-IR in Adult Obese Females

Background: Obesity is a major public health problem and is closely associated with insulin resistance, a key metabolic abnormality that precedes the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Body mass index does not adequately reflect body fat distribution, which may play a more important role in determining insulin resistance. Data evaluating the relationship between anthropometric indices and insulin resistance among obese adult females in the Indian population remain limited. Objectives: To evaluate the correlation between various anthropometric indices and insulin resistance, as assessed by the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), in Indian adult obese females. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Postgraduate Research Laboratory of the Department of Physiology in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, from November 2017 to June 2018. Fifty obese adult female subjects aged ≥18 years with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m² were included. Anthropometric measurements were recorded using standardized techniques. Fasting plasma glucose and fasting serum insulin were estimated, and insulin resistance was calculated using HOMA-IR. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis. Results: Body mass index did not show a significant correlation with HOMA-IR (r = 0.109, p > 0.05). Waist circumference (r = 0.298, p < 0.05), sagittal abdominal diameter (r = 0.295, p < 0.05), and hip circumference (r = 0.351, p < 0.05) showed significant positive correlations with insulin resistance. Thigh medium perimeter demonstrated the strongest positive correlation with HOMA-IR (r = 0.468, p < 0.05). Waist–thigh ratio showed a significant negative correlation (r = −0.376, p < 0.05). The conicity index exhibited a strong inverse correlation with HOMA-IR (r = −0.841, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Insulin resistance in obese adult females is influenced more by body fat distribution than by overall adiposity. Anthropometric indices reflecting central and regional adiposity may serve as useful tools for early identification of metabolic risk