Gender differences in central obesity: Implications for cardiometabolic health in South Asians

Abstract

This study estimates the prevalence of central obesity in South Asian adults and examines gender differences in central obesity across cardiometabolic determinants. An urban community-based survey was conducted using multi-stage random sampling. Asia-Pacific criterion for waist circumference (WC) was used to measure central obesity. Amongst 1178 participants, females had a higher age-adjusted central obesity (48%), and more than two-fold increased odds of central obesity. Increased prevalence of central obesity and female preponderance are indicative for a gender-sensitive population-level intervention to tackle cardiometabolic risk. WC may be an effective population-level measurement tool for cardiometabolic risk assessment in South Asian adults.