Ten-year changes in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity among the Chinese adults in urban Shanghai, 1998–2007 — comparison of two cross-sectional surveys

In China, obesity is expected to increase rapidly in both urban and rural areas. However, there have been no comprehensive reports on secular trends in obesity prevalence among Chinese adults in urban Shanghai, which is the largest city in southern China.

In 1998–2001 and again in 2007–2008, two independent population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Shanghai to investigate the prevalence of metabolic disorders. These surveys obtained height, waist circumference (WC), and weight measurements for Chinese adults aged between 20 and 74 years who lived in urban communities. From the 1998–2001 survey, 4,894 participants (2,081 men and 2,813 women, mean age: 48.9 years) were recruited, and 4,395 participants (1,599 men and 2,796 women, mean age: 49.8 years) were recruited from the 2007–2008 survey. Using the World Health Organization criteria, overweight was defined as 25 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m² and obesity as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m². Central obesity was defined as WC ≥ 90 cm in men or ≥85 cm in women. The differences in prevalence of obesity, central obesity and overweight between the two surveys were tested using multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Compared to the 1998–2001 survey, in the 2007–2008 survey the BMI distribution for men and the WC distribution for both genders is shifted significantly to the right along the x-axis (all p < 0.001). Over the ten years, the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity increased 24% (from 31.5% to 39.1%, p < 0.001) in men, but decreased 8% (from 27.3% to 25.0%; p < 0.01) in women. The prevalence of central obesity increased 40% in men (from 19.5% to 27.3%; p < 0.01), but the increase was not significant in women (15.0% to 17.1%; p = 0.051). In the total population, only central obesity showed a significant change between the populations in the two surveys, increasing 29% (from 17.3% to 22.4%; p < 0.001).

Over this 10 year period, central obesity increased significantly in the Shanghai adult population. However, the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was significantly increased in men but not in women.