RESEARCH ARTICLE Obesity and Its Relationship with Hypertension among Adults 50 Years and Older in Jinan, China

Background: The relationship between obesity and hypertension varies with geographical area, race and definitions of obesity. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity using standard Chinese criteria based on the body mass index (BMI) and the waist circumference (WC) and to examine the association between obesity and hypertension among middle-aged and elderly people in Jinan city. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 1,870 subjects from the blocks randomly selected from among the 6 communities of Jinan, China in 2011–2012. The Student’s t-test was used to compare numerical data, and the x2 test was used to compare categorical data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of general and central obesity on hypertension after adjusting for age or for education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, and continuous age. Results: The prevalence of general obesity among people age 50 years and olde