Global, regional and time-trend prevalence of central obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 13.2 million subjects

Abstract

We aimed to examine the global prevalences of central obesity according to age, sex, race, place of residence, geographical region, national income level, and the definitions of central obesity. MEDLINE and Embase were searched. Studies with sample size of ≥ 500 and investigated individuals aged ≥ 15 years were included. Metaprop (a Stata command) was adopted to conduct a meta-analysis of prevalence, and the Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation was used to stabilize the variances. A random-effects model was used to evaluate the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of central obesity. There were 288 studies involving 13,233,675 individuals in this analysis. The overall prevalence of central obesity was 41.5% (95% CI 39.9-43.2%). A higher prevalence was found in older individuals, female subjects, urban residents, Caucasians, and populations of higher income level countries. Regarding regional variations, the highest prevalence was found in Sothern America (55.1%, 95% CI 45.8-64.3%) and Central American (52.9%, 95% CI 32.7-72.7%). Its prevalence was rapidly rising from 1985 to 2014. From 1985-1999 to 2010-2014, younger subjects aged 15-40 years showed a more drastic rise in prevalence (16.3 to 33.9%) than subjects aged > 40 years (43.6 to 57.9%). Male individuals have a more drastic rise (25.3 to 41.6%) than females (38.6 to 49.7%). Major increasing in prevalence of the condition in the past three decades, particularly in certain subgroups. These findings could act as a useful reference to inform public health strategies to minimize the impact of central obesity on population health.

Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity and Its Association With Cardiovascular Risk Among the Adult Population in Burkina Faso

“…Indeed, using a cut-off point for WC of ≥94 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women, a recent meta-analysis by Wong et al . [28] reported that the global prevalence of abdominal obesity was 41.5% [95% CI: 39.9–43.2%]. This prevalence is higher than those reported in our study using the same WC cut-off point.…”

“…Using the WHO definition, Wong et al . [28] reported that nearly half (41.5%) of the global adult population was abdominally obese and that this prevalence is rising worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries in SSA. However, there is a paucity of data on abdominal obesity in SSA as previously highlighted by Wong et al [27].…”

“…Except for that of Kabwama et al . [28] in Uganda, most of these studies were performed in local areas and, therefore, do not provide country-level estimates of the prevalence of abdominal obesity. The new consensus of the International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) and the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk (ICCR) Working Group on Visceral Obesity, published in March 2020, recognized that decreasing WC is a critical target to reduce the adverse health risks for both sexes [18].…”

Effects of the Non-Alcoholic Fraction of Beer on Abdominal Fat, Osteoporosis, and Body Hydration in Women

“…More specifically, despite exhibiting a similar mean body mass index (BMI), postmenopausal women have a larger WC [ 15 ]. While both genders experience somatic changes with aging, in women they particularly affect the WC and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) [ 33 , 38 ]. Interestingly, both visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes express estrogen and androgen receptors such as ER-α, a regulator of adipocyte activity and fat distribution responsible for these gender differences and hyperandrogenism in postmenopausal women [ 15 , 39 ].…”

Global Burden, Risk Factors, and Trends of Esophageal Cancer: An Analysis of Cancer Registries from 48 Countries

“…According to a recent estimation on worldwide obesity from the WHO in 2016, the global prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 [ 46 ]. Another study on the global burden of central obesity also found that the prevalence increased from 16.3% to 33.9% during 1985–2014 [ 47 ]. The past two decades also witnessed a marked increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (from 22.8% to 27.0%) [ 48 ].…”