Prevalence of overweight and obesity and its associated factors: findings from National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan, 1993-1996.
BACKGROUND
To report the overall and regional prevalence of obesity/overweight in Taiwan and to study its associated risk factors.


METHODS
A total of 3046 adults > or = 20 years of age collected in National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan, 1993-1996.


RESULTS
Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 21.1 and 4.0% under the current WHO definition. The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity, using the Taiwanese definition (BMI = 24-26.99 kg/m(2) and > or = 27 kg/m(2), respectively), were 22.9 and 10.5% for males and 20.3 and 13.2% for females, respectively. The highest prevalence rates of obesity were found in the mountainous areas. In addition to age and residing location, education level in women and metabolic equivalent (MET) score and alcohol consumption in men were correlates of obesity. Effects of nutrition/health-related behaviors might be in part explained by education level and residing location of the subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of obesity defined by WHO criteria among people in Taiwan was moderate, with considerable regional variation. The regional differences in obesity prevalence could not be completely accounted for by the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors studied.
Lin
Yi-Chin
YC
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yen
Lee-Lan
LL
Chen
Ssu-Yuan
SY
Kao
Mei-Ding
MD
Tzeng
Min-Su
MS
Huang
Po-Chao
PC
Pan
Wen-Harn
WH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology