Behavioral covariates of waist-to-hip ratio in Rancho Bernardo

We examined lifestyle and dietary habits in 685 men and 943 women (mean age 67 years) who completed an interview, examination, and food frequency questionnaire in 1984-87. Waist-to-hip ratio increased with age and body mass index in both men and women. In multiple regression, waist-to-hip ratio was independently associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise in men, and with smoking and alcohol consumption in women. The data suggest that waist-to-hip ratio is affected, at least in part, by behavioral, and potentially modifiable, factors.