Predictory efficacy of new hybrid and traditional anthropometric scores for kidney function among adolescent girls, East north of Iran

Background The link between new composite indices and the risk of kidney disease isn't fully understood. Our goal was to explore how the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and the lipid accumulation product (LAP) relate to kidney function, and to compare how well these obesity indices predict kidney health. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 802 relatively healthy adolescent girls were randomly recruited using a cluster sampling method from high schools in Mashhad and Sabzevar, northeastern Iran. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <125 ml/min/1.73 m² was defined as kidney dysfunction. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to analyze the eGFR across quartiles of VAI, LAP, body mass index (BMI), and waist to height ratio (WHtR). To compare the predictive abilities of the various obesity indices, we employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results In our study, 74.4% of participants had eGFR of < 125 mL/min. After adjustments, those in the upper median group of LAP had a significantly higher risk of low eGFR compared to those in the lower median group (odds ratio (0R): 8.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.3-31, P=0.001). In contrast, VAI did not show a significant association (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.36-3.6, P=0.62). Additionally, normal-weight participants had a 7.3 times greater risk of low eGFR compared to underweight or overweight/obese participants (OR: 7.3, % 95 CI: 2.5 – 21.4, P <0.001), and those in the upper median group for WHtR had a 7.5 times greater risk (OR: 7.5, %95 CI: 3.2 – 17.2, P<0.001). Among the indices, BMI demonstrated the highest discriminatory power (area under the curve (AUC): 0.705, 95% CI: 0.66-0.75, P<0.001). Conclusion Our findings indicated that higher LAP, WHtR, and being underweight/overweight/obese significantly increased the risk of low eGFR; however, only BMI proved to be a reliable predictor for assessing kidney function. Future longitudinal studies are needed.