Prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors in Northeastern China

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors in the Northeastern Chinese city of Dehui.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving random sampling methods generated 3598 completed questionnaires by permanent residents of Dehui. Binary multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that were significantly associated with obesity.

Results: Based on the 2000 WHO diagnostic criterion regarding populations in the Asia-Pacific region, the prevalence of obesity was 37.71% (34.77% of females; 41.11% of males). Elevated body mass index (BMI) was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD)-associated conditions (P<0.05), and increased prevalence of abnormally high transaminase levels (P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated the following variables were associated with obesity: increased age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0-1.02), high total cholesterol (TC) (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.03-1.54), high triglycerides (TG) (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.16-1.64), hypertension (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.39-1.90), fatty liver (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.41-3.49), living in an urban setting (OR: 2.84, 95% CI: 2.39-3.38), and advanced education (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.06-1.40).

Conclusions: Obesity is prevalent among the adult population in Northeastern China and is significantly associated with CVD risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, as well as transaminase abnormalities.