Sex differences in abdominal obesity: Findings from a cross-sectional study abdominal obesity by sex
Abstract
Objective: This study examined the prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO) and dietary habits among adult men and women living in urban and semi-urban areas, as well as the factors associated with these conditions.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2019 among 296 individuals aged 18 and over, selected from urban and semi-urban areas of Manisa province using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, dietary
habits, and waist circumference. AO was defined according to World Health Organization cut-off points. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and logistic regression in SPSS 27.0. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The study population consisted of 74.0% females and 26.0% males, with a mean age of 45.3±14.3 years. The overall prevalence of AO was 54.4%, with a significantly higher prevalence among females (59.4%) compared to males (40.3%). In both sexes, age and residence in semi-urban areas were significantly associated with abdominal obesity. Additionally, eating behavior was significantly related to AO in men, whereas in women, unemployment was a
significant factor.
Conclusion: AO is common, especially among women, and is associated with age, residential area, eating behavior in men, and employment status in women. Population-level interventions targeting healthy environments, dietary habits, and socioeconomic factors-particularly for women- are essential to reduce its burden.
Keywords
Abdominal obesity, Dietary habits, Obesity, Waist circumference, Sex differences
Supporting Institution
No funding was received for this study
Ethical Statement
Ethical approval was obtained from Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee (date: 29/01/2020, no: 20.478.486).
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