Diana González, Marlene Johana Chamba Tandazo, Mayra Alejandra Manrique Torres
Abdominal circumference is a relevant anthropometric indicator for identifying visceral fat accumulation and metabolic risk in young people. This study aimed to relate abdominal circumference to the risk of metabolic diseases in nursing students. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 65 seventh-semester students. Data collection was carried out using a survey validated by experts, structured around five dimensions, and statistical processing was performed using SPSS software. The results showed that 30.8% were overweight and 15.4% were obese. Furthermore, 13.8% of the women and 6.2% of the men exceeded the normal abdominal circumference values. Although 78.5% of the students knew the measurement technique, 80% did not know the appropriate values. The study concludes that it is necessary to strengthen educational strategies aimed at risk prevention among students.