Relationship between stature, overweight and central obesity in the adult population in São Paulo, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To test association between overweight, central obesity and stature.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study carried-out between 1990-1991.


METHODS
951 adults (387 male and 564 female) aged 20-64 y, resident in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil.


METHODS
Anthropometry, blood lipid concentrations (total, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs) and blood glucose. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference were used to identify overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2), abdominal obesity (WHR tertile 3 and waist circumference tertile 3), respectively. The subjects were categorised as those of short stature (women < 150 cm, men < 162cm) and those of normal stature (women > or = 150 cm, men > or = 162 cm).


RESULTS
Prevalence of short stature was 19.6% and 15.4% in men and women, respectively. Short stature women had higher serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, TGs and glucose than those of normal stature. Among men, this difference was not observed, except for glucose concentrations. Short stature women had high BMI and WHR means in some age categories, compared with those of normal stature. Both overweight and high WHR frequencies were greater in short stature women than in those of normal ones. In multivariate analysis, adjusted by age, income, marital status, education, physical activity and tobacco use, only women group with short stature compared with normal stature had significantly risk of overweight an high WHR. In the same group there was no association with waist circumference. Among the men there was significant opposite association with waist circumference.


CONCLUSIONS
Short stature in women can potentially be an independent risk factor for overweight and high WHR.
Department of Mother-Child Health and Public Health, School of Nursing, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. guveme@dedalus.lcc.ufmg.br
G
G
Velásquez-Meléndez
I S
IS
Martins
A M
AM
Cervato
N S
NS
Fornés
M F
MF
Marucci
L T
LT
Coelho
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001824:Body Constitution; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids