Changes in Waist Circumference and Abdominal Obesity among Chinese Adults over a Ten-year Period

The aim of this study was to describe changes in waist circumference (WC) and prevalence of abdominal obesity over a period of 10 years among Chinese adults in different socio-economic status (SES).

Data derived from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance during 2002 and 2010-2012. We calculated the mean WC and the prevalence of abdominal obesity by gender, place of residence, SES indicators (education, income, and marital status), and body mass index (BMI) categoriesand used pooled t-tests to assess the differences between the two time periods.

26.0% of men and 25.3% of women had abdominal obesity in 2010-2012. The age-adjusted mean WC increased by 2.7 cm among men and 2.1 cm among women; the age-adjusted prevalence of abdominal obesity increased by 7.7% among men and 5.3% among women. The rising trends were observed in all subgroups except for a negative growth in high-income women. People living in rural areas with low education and income and with a BMI of 18.5 to 23.9 kg/m2 had a greater absolute and relative increase in WC. People living in rural areas with low income had a greater relative increase in abdominal obesity.

The mean WC and prevalence of abdominal obesity among Chinese adults have increased during the past 10 years. Gender differences were noted using various SES indicators.