Association of the body adiposity index (BAI) with metabolic risk factors in young and older overweight and obese women.

PURPOSE: Body adiposity index (BAI) is a novel index for the assessment of percentage fat mass (FM%). We tested the association between BAI and metabolic outcomes in overweight and obese women of different ages. METHODS: 260 young women (24.7 ± 5.3 years, 31.0 ± 5.0 kg/m(2)) and 328 older women (66.9 ± 4.6 years, 34.8 ± 4.7 kg/m(2)) were recruited. BAI was calculated using hip circumference and height. Bioimpedance analysis was used to measure FM%. Metabolic risk was assessed using a composite z score integrating standardised measurements of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, liver enzymes and triglycerides. RESULTS: The association between BAI and FM% was modest in both young (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) and older (r = 0.49, p < 0.001) groups. BAI was directly associated with metabolic risk in young women (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), whereas it showed a weak, inverse association in the older group (r = -0.14, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BAI validity needs to be re-assessed in older individuals for better definition of its predictive accuracy.