**2.6 Statistical analysis**

All the statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Data comparison was done using student t-test for 2 groups. Descriptive statistics were performed for age, anthropometric parameters, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic). The Linear regression model was used to assess the association between blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), blood glucose and anthropometric parameters after adjusting for potential confounders. The logistic regression was used to determine the risk of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus using anthropometric parameters. Statistical significance was set at a probability level of 0.05 (**Figures 1** and **2**).

#### **Figure 1.**

*Gender specific prevalence of obesity based on WC, BMI, WHtR and NC among Ellisras children aged 6 to 11 years. The prevalence of obesity was higher in boys measured by BMI (16.9%), WC (5.4%) and WHtR (9.6%), as compared to girls BMI (12.2%), WC (4.6%) and WHtR (6.2%) and that measured by NC was higher in girls (14.3%) than in boys (11.5%).*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Gender-specific prevalence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus among Ellisras children age 6 to 11 years. The prevalence of hypertension defined by SBP was higher in boys (5.4%) than in girls (5.1%), hypertension defined by DBP was higher in girls (9.7%) than in boys (8.4%) and that of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher in boys (16.9%) as compared to girls (12.2%).*
