Prevalence and Determinants of Central Obesity and Age-Specific Waist: Hip Ratio of People in Five Cities: The Indian Women's Health Study

Abstract

Objective To study the prevalence of central obesity and agespecific waist: hip ratio of urban women from five Indian cities.Design and setting Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 6-1 2 urban streets in different parts of India using similar methods of sample selection and criteria of diagnosis. Subjects and methodsWe randomly selected 321 2 women, aged 25-64 years, from Moradabad (n =902), Trivandrum (n = 760), Calcutta (n =365), Nagpur (n = 405), and Bombay (n=780). Evaluation was by a questionnaire administered by a physician and a dietician, a physical examination, and anthropometric measurements. ResultsThe overall prevalence of central obesity among the total number of women was 55.0%, with the highest prevalence in Calcutta (62.2%) and the lowest in Bombay (47.4%). Waist: hip ratio was 0.85k0.13 (mean? SD) with the highest ratio for women in Calcutta (0.87k0.12) and the lowest for women in Moradabad (0.84?0.16). After pooling of data from all five cities, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, regardless of age, body mass index (>23 kg/m2; odds ratio 1.12), sedentary lifestyle (odds ratio 2.51), and family history of obesity (odds ratio 2.1 5) were strongly associated with central obesity. Excess intake of fat was weakly associated with central obesity but age was not a risk factor for central obesity, although the prevalence was highest among those aged over 55 years in Moradabad, Calcutta, and Nagpur. ConclusionsThe overall prevalence of central obesity among the urban women of India has increased, more so in Calcutta and Trivandrum. Body mass index, sedentary lifestyle, and family history of excess intake of fat were significant risk factors for central obesity.

Prevalence of Obesity and Dyslipidemia in Middle-Aged Men and Women in Tanzania, Africa: Relationship with Resting Energy Expenditure and Dietary Factors.

“…Studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa have reported an increase in the prevalence of obesity among both men and women in urban areas (6,7). Other epidemiological surveys in developing countries have shown that an unhealthy diet contributes to the increasing problem of obesity (8,9). Similarly, there has been a significant variability in the levels of dyslipi demia in the urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (10), and a possible increase in rural areas has also been sug gested (11).…”

A 12-week randomized double-blind parallel pilot trial of Sinetrol XPur on body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, and muscle metabolism in overweight men

“…Therefore, measuring the abdominal adiposity ratio is considered as the reference method for studying overweight and obesity. Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index (BMI) or waist and hip circumference are generally the most commonly used indicators to assess overweight or obesity (Mushtaq et al, 2011;Singh et al, 1998). However, these markers should be considered as a rough guide because they may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.…”

Blood Pressure and Waist Circumference: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Waist Circumference on Blood Pressure among Bengalee Male Jute Mill Workers of Belur, West Bengal, India

“…Several recent publications from India (Shelgikar et al, 1991;Ramachandran et al, 1992;Gupta and Majumdar, 1994;Gupta and Mehrishi, 1997;Singh et al, 1998aSingh et al, , 1998bGhosh et al, 2000;Bose and Das Chaudhuri, 2001;Bhadra et al, 2002) have reported the significant association of abdominal or central adiposity with established risk factors for CHD in various ethnic groups. A more recent study by Dasgupta and Hazra (1999) had recommended that a WC cut-off point of 80 cm could be used to define centrally obese individuals among Bengalee men.…”