Overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middle-age adults in an inland region of Northeast Portuguese: a pilot study

The prevalence of central and abdominal obesity has been increasing over last decades in developed countries. As well, the high prevalence of obesity in Portugal has already been documented, however it is need to better understand the prevalence in each region of the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in middle-age in an inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional community sample was collected from two Portuguese primary health care centres between January 2019 and December 2020. A total of 673 individuals aged 40–65 years were included for analysis, among which 400 women (53.34 ± 7.33 years) and 273 men (53.01 ± 7.20 years). Prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity were analysed across sexes using body mass index and waist circumference. Categorical variables were expressed by counts and proportions with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Chi-squared test or fisher exact test were applied whenever appropriate. To compare continuous variables independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity in this cross-sectorial sample were 41.01%, 30.61% and 67.20%, respectively. Significant differences among men and women were found for abdominal obesity (p < 0.001). Women presented a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity (67.5%). Men have higher prevalence of overweight (48.72%) and central obesity (31.14%) than women (35.75% and 30.25%, respectively). However, differences were not statistically significant between sexes for overweight and central obesity (p ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: A higher prevalence of overweight, central obesity and abdominal obesity was reported for middle- age adults in this inland region of Northeast Portuguese. Our data suggest a higher prevalence of all three clinical conditions, comparing previous Portuguese epidemiological studies. Current report provides the study pilot for a more detailed epidemiological research. Also, preliminary findings emphasise the importance of implementing physical activity programmes and promoting healthy lifestyles to tackling this growing public health problem.Project “GreenHealth – Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).