Association of lifestyle factors and dietary intake with abdominal obesitymeasured by anthropometric variables

BACKGROUND: TO evaluate lifestyle and dietary intake factors influencing th e accumulation of abdominal fat in a Mediterranean population. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried-out in Spain (Astu rias, Granada, Murcia, Navarra and Guipuzkoa) among 23,228 women and 14,332 men aged 29-69 years, participants of a large European prospective cohort (EPIC), Information on usual food intake and other non-dietary factors were collected by interviews. Height, weight, waist circumference and hip circu mference were taken by previously trained interviewers. RESULTS: In a multiple-linear regression analysis sports activities and edu cational level were negatively associated with abdominal obesity, while bod y mass index, age, tobacco and alcohol consumption, saturated fat intake an d increased prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and myocardial infarction were positively associated. All dietary and non-dietary variables accounted for 22 and 27% of variance in the waist/hip ratio and 74 and 66% of varian ce in the waist circumference, in women and men respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Body mass index and age are the most important factors influen cing the accumulation of abdominal fat. Dietary factors and other lifestyle factors seem to play a minor role in increasing abdominal obesity.