Epidemiology
Obesity (2008) 16 6, 1440–1447. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.58
Prevalence of Obesity and Correlations With Lifestyle and Dietary Factors in Chinese Men
Sang-Ah Lee1, Wanqing Wen1, Wang Hong Xu2, Wei Zheng1, Honglan Li2, Gong Yang1, Yong-Bing Xiang2 and Xiao-Ou Shu1
- 1Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- 2Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
Correspondence: Xiao-Ou Shu (Xiao-Ou.Shu@vanderbilt.edu)
Received 4 April 2007; Accepted 14 September 2007; Published online 20 March 2008.
Abstract
Objective:
To estimate the age-adjusted prevalence of general and centralized obesity among Chinese men living in urban Shanghai.
Methods and Procedures:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 61,582 Chinese men aged 40–75. BMI (kg/m2) was used to measure overweight (23 
BMI < 27.4) and obesity (BMI 
27.5) based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended criteria for Asians. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was used to measure moderate (75th WHR < 90th percentile) and severe (WHR 90th percentile) centralized obesity.
Results:
The average BMI and WHR were 23.7 kg/m2 and 0.90, respectively. The prevalence of overweight was 48.6% and obesity was 10.5% . The prevalence of general and centralized obesity was higher in men with high income or who were retired, tea drinkers, or nonusers of ginseng than their counterparts. Men with high education had a higher prevalence of overweight and centralized obesity, but had a lower prevalence of obesity and severe centralized obesity compared to those with less education. Current smokers or alcohol drinkers had a lower prevalence of general obesity but higher prevalence of centralized obesity than nonsmokers or nondrinkers of alcohol. Ex-smokers and ex-alcohol drinkers had a higher prevalence of general and centralized obesity compared to nonsmokers and nondrinkers of alcohol. Prevalence of obesity was associated with high energy intake and less daily physical activity.
Discussion:
The prevalence of obesity among Chinese men in urban Shanghai was lower than that observed in Western countries but higher than that in other Asian countries, and the prevalence of general and centralized obesity differed by demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors.
