title: [Factors associated with the accumulation of abdominal fat estimated with anthropometric indexes].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate lifestyle and dietary intake factors influencing the accumulation of abdominal fat in a Mediterranean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried-out in Spain (Asturias, 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 circumference were taken by previously trained interviewers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a multiple-linear regression analysis sports activities and educational level were negatively associated with abdominal obesity, while body mass index, age, tobacco and alcohol consumption, saturated fat intake and 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 variance in the waist circumference, in women and men respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Body mass index and age are the most important factors influencing the accumulation of abdominal fat. Dietary factors and other lifestyle factors seem to play a minor role in increasing abdominal obesity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Epidemiológica y Clínica, Mataró, Barcelona. gonzalez@csm.scs.es
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agudo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amiano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barricarte
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beguiristain
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chirlaque
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dorronsoro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Quirós
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tormo
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001824:Body Constitution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity