BODY SHAPE INDEX AS A PREDICTOR OF HEALTH RISK AMONG HAUSA POPULATION OF DALA L.G.A, KANO.

ABSTRACT Body Shape Index (ABSI) was specifically developed as a transformation of waist circumference (WC), statistically independent of BMI to better evaluate the relative contribution of WC to central obesity and clinical outcomes. Previous studies have found ABSI is associated with total mortality and cardiovascular events. However, no study has specifically evaluated the joint contribution of BSI and BMI to cardio-metabolic outcomes (high triglycerides, low HDL, high fasting glucose and high blood pressure). This study examines the relationship between Body Shape Index (BSI) and health risks among the Hausa population of Dala Local Government Area, Kano State. A total of 200 participants were categorized by gender and age groups (18–28, 29–39, and 40–50 years). Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and range, were computed for systolic blood pressure (S BP), diastolic blood pressure (D BP), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and BSI. Findings revealed that blood pressure values increased with age in both males and females, with the highest mean systolic and diastolic pressures observed in the 40–50 age group (121/88.8 mmHg for males and 125/88.0 mmHg for females). Waist circumference and BMI also showed an increasing trend with age, with males exhibiting higher values than females. BSI was highest in older males (0.119) and lowest in younger females (0.0614), indicating a potential correlation between age, gender, and body shape in predicting health risks. The study highlights significant variations in anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters, suggesting that BSI could be a useful indicator for health risk assessment among the Hausa population. Further research is recommended to explore its predictive value in the context of non-communicable diseases.