SECULAR INCREASES IN WAIST-HIP RATIO AMONG SWEDISH WOMEN

INTRODUCTION: Secular increases in obesity have been documented in num erous populations. However, little is known about trends in fat distri bution. Because men and women with elevated waist-hip ratios (WHR) con stitute a high cardiovascular risk group, it is relevant to document s ecular changes in WHR. This paper compares WHR in three cohorts of wom en, one cohort recruited in the late 1960s and the others after 12y an d 24y intervals. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 1968-1969, a randomly select ed sample of women aged of 38y and 50y, was given anthropometric exami nations (n = 761, total). The same measurements were taken on represen tative cohorts aged 38y and 50y in 1980-1981 (n = 677) and 1992-1993 ( n = 167). All analyses of trends in WHR as a function of time are age- specific and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted. RESULTS: An interesting f eature of this population is that BMI was stable from 1968-1969 to 199 2-1993. However, WHR increased significantly in those aged 38y and 50y , independent of BMI (P=0.001, both ages). The source of these changes in WHR was a combination of increasing waist circumferences and decre asing hip circumferences. Skinfold measurements, taken only at the fir st two examinations, also increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: This f emale population appears to have experienced some changes in body shap e and composition, However, we cannot explain the increasingly central ized fat patterning by changes in BMI, subcutaneous skinfold thickness or those obesity-related aspects of the modern lifestyle that we were able to measure.