OBJECTIVETo understand the incidence of central obesity and its characteristics, and explore the effects of lifestyle factors on incidence of central obesity in Chinese adults aged 35-74 years.

METHODSA total of 27 020 Chinese adults aged 35 to 74 years were enrolled in a prospective follow-up study (the study cohort was built from 1998 to 2000, respectively) during 2007 and 2008. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥ 90 cm in men, ≥ 85 cm and ≥ 80 cm in women, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) of central obesity for lifestyle factors after adjusting factors including genders, age, southern and geographic region, urbanization, lifestyles, and so on.

RESULTSAmong Chinese adults aged 35-74 years, the standardized annual incidence of central obesity (waist ≥ 90 cm) was 2.19% for men and this rate decreased gradually with age among people younger than 65 years old. The incidence of central obesity was 2.64% (waist ≥ 85 cm) and 4.06% (waist ≥ 80 cm) for women, respectively, and this rate increased obviously among people aged 55 to 74 years. Participants with ≥ 12 years' education (RR = 0.84, 95%CI:0.74-0.96) had a lower risk of central obesity(waist ≥ 90 cm for men, waist ≥ 85 cm for women). And this risk increased as the monthly household per capita income increased. Compared with the reference group, people involved in housework or retirees (RR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01-1.36), drinking alcohol (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.32) or scented tea (RR = 1.49, 95%CI:1.28-1.72) had a higher risk of developing central obesity, while drinking milk (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.97) or black tea (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58-0.95), had a lower risk of developing central obesity.

CONCLUSIONA healthy lifestyle plays a key role in the prevention and control of central obesity in Chinese adults, and a healthy way of lifestyle should be promoted in the whole society to decelerate the epidemic of the central obesity.