This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.
Waist circumference percentiles
Age- and sex-specific classification of waist circumference (KiGGS, 11–18 years) with waist-to-height ratio
Calculation aid for healthcare professionals: the calculator reproduces what the sources cited assign to the inputs. Clinical assessment and every treatment decision remain with the treating physician. Inputs and results are not stored.
Frequently asked questions
Waist circumference percentiles: What does this calculator compute?
Classifies the waist circumference of a child or adolescent into the German KiGGS reference percentiles (RKI 2013, 11–18 years) – z-score, percentile and median – and, if height is entered, calculates the waist-to-height ratio using the 0.5 rule.
Waist circumference percentiles: Which sources is this calculator based on?
Neuhauser H, Schienkiewitz A, Schaffrath Rosario A, Dortschy R, Kurth BM; Robert Koch Institute: Reference percentiles for anthropometric measures and blood pressure from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) 2003–2006, expanded edition 2 – Chapter 6 (waist, hip, WHR, WHtR, 11–18 years) and 7 (skinfolds, body fat percentage according to Slaughter, 8–18 years) (2013); Ashwell M, Hsieh SD: Six reasons why the waist-to-height ratio is a rapid and effective global indicator for health risks of obesity and how its use could simplify the international public health message on obesity (Int J Food Sci Nutr 56:303–307) (2005); McCarthy HD, Ashwell M: A study of central fatness using waist-to-height ratios in UK children and adolescents over two decades supports the simple message – 'keep your waist circumference to less than half your height' (Int J Obes 30:988–992) (2006); Browning LM, Hsieh SD, Ashwell M: A systematic review of waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for the prediction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 0·5 could be a suitable global boundary value (Nutr Res Rev 23:247–269) (2010); World Health Organization: Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December 2008 (published 2011) (2011)