Background: BMI and waist circumference (WC) are the two most common anthropometric measurements for general obesity and central obesity. The present study examined the distributions of BMI and WC and their relationship with blood pressure (BP) among college students in Shandong, China.

Participants and methods: A total of 5838 college students (2915 men and 2923 women) aged 19-22 years participated in the study. Height, weight, WC, and BP of all participants were measured, and BMI and waist-to-height ratio were calculated. The BMI cutoffs recommended by the Working Group on Obesity in China were used to define underweight, normal weight, and overweight. Central obesity was defined as waist-to-height ratio of at least 0.5. High BP was defined as systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mmHg. All individuals were classified into four groups (Q1-Q4) according to the quartiles of BMI and WC, and the BP level, and the prevalence of high BP among the four groups was compared.

Results: The prevalences of overweight, central obesity, and high BP were 22.74, 7.85, and 8.79% for men and 8.42, 3.02, and 1.92% for women, respectively; these figures were all significantly higher in men than in women (P<0.01). In both men and women, overweight and central obesity are associated with elevated BP.

Conclusion: College students with high BMI and high WC might have an increased risk of elevated BP. These findings emphasize the importance of the prevention of overweight and obesity to prevent future-related problems such as hypertension in young individuals.