Background Measurement of waist circumference is used to assess abdominal fat and risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke. It is performed in several clinical settings for health promotion and medical assessment purposes, including statutory medical assessments where results may influence decisions on fitness to work. Under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997, working divers must have an annual assessment of their fitness to dive performed by an approved medical examiner of divers (AMED), appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The assessment includes measurement of height, weight and waist circumference, the latter used as an indicator of central adiposity and associated health risks. Aims To establish the practice of AMEDs in measuring waist circumference of working divers undergoing medical assessment to determine their fitness to dive. Methods Ninety-seven AMEDs were sent a questionnaire and asked to describe their current practice in measuring waist circumference. The response rate was 79%. The audit standard used was the consensus document published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results Of the 77 responses, 76 were completed sufficiently to allow analysis. When the waist was measured, there was consistency in the diver’s level of clothing, stage of breathing and posture for the procedure but variability in the site of measurement. Only 7/76 (9%) respondents carried out waist measurement fully in line with WHO guidance. Conclusions The audit has identified that there is a need for guidance for AMEDs on measuring waist circumference in the statutory medical assessment of working divers.

中文翻译：

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法定潜水医学评估期间腰围测量方法的审核

背景 腰围测量用于评估腹部脂肪和心脏病、2 型糖尿病、癌症和中风的风险。它在几种临床环境中进行，以促进健康和医疗评估，包括法定医疗评估，其结果可能会影响工作健康的决定。根据 1997 年工作潜水条例，工作潜水员必须由健康与安全执行官 (HSE) 任命的经批准的潜水员体检医师 (AMED) 对他们的潜水适应性进行年度评估。评估包括测量身高、体重和腰围，后者用作中心性肥胖和相关健康风险的指标。目的 建立 AMED 测量正在接受医学评估的工作潜水员腰围的做法，以确定他们是否适合潜水。方法 向 97 名 AMED 发送了一份问卷，并要求他们描述他们目前测量腰围的做法。响应率为 79%。使用的审计标准是世界卫生组织（WHO）发布的共识文件。结果 在 77 份回复中，76 份已完成，足以进行分析。测量腰围时，潜水员的服装水平、呼吸阶段和手术姿势具有一致性，但测量部位存在差异。只有 7/76 (9%) 的受访者完全按照世卫组织的指导进行腰围测量。