Impact of Gender and Anthropometric Predictors on Cardio-Metabolic Risk Profile

Background Risk factors, especially anthropometric measurements, have been known to play a significant role in predicting a person's cardio-metabolic health, and the potential impact of gender in this pertinent association can be a potential eye-opener in the field of public health. Early detection of these common health issues like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes through risk factor assessment can significantly help control these diseases and improve global health. The current study is a similar effort where the study aims to investigate the relationship of independent risk factors i.e. gender, age, blood group, arm circumference, and chest circumference, with dependent factors, namely body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels, and pulse rate in the young adult population. Methods The study proceeded with nursing students aged 18–28 years after institutional ethical approval (REG/GRT/22/AHS-129) from December 2022 to April 2023. Arm/chest circumference was measured. Weight was divided by height to calculate BMI. Standard protocols were followed to measure BP and HR. FBS was assessed through biochemical testing. Binary logistic and linear regression analysis assessed the association between dependent and independent variables. Results Gender significantly influences BP, with young females generally having lower values than males. Pulse rate strongly predicts FBS and is directly associated with them, while it shows an inverse relationship with the Rh-negative blood group and a positive association with arm circumference. Chest circumference correlates positively with BMI, increasing by 0.40 kg/m² for each inch of circumference. Arm circumference strongly correlates positively with BMI (p = 0.001). FBS levels positively correlate with BMI (p = 0.001), indicating that higher blood sugar may contribute to increased BMI. No significant relationship existed between BMI and demographics, i.e., gender, age, or blood group. Conclusion Anthropometric measures like chest and arm circumferences and metabolic factors like FBS are critical in predicting BMI. At the same time, traditional demographic variables may not play a significant role in this pertinent association.