title: Obesity and its relationship with hypertension among adults 50 years and older in Jinan, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between obesity and hypertension varies with geographical area, race and definitions of obesity. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity using standard Chinese criteria based on the body mass index (BMI) and the waist circumference (WC) and to examine the association between obesity and hypertension among middle-aged and elderly people in Jinan city.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study examined 1,870 subjects from the blocks randomly selected from among the 6 communities of Jinan, China in 2011-2012. The Student's t-test was used to compare numerical data, and the χ2 test was used to compare categorical data. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of general and central obesity on hypertension after adjusting for age or for education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, and continuous age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of general obesity among people age 50 years and older was 21.1% (17.0% for males and 23.1% for females), and the prevalence of central obesity was 77.8% for men and 78.7% for women. For men, compared with a normal BMI, the ORs and 95% CIs for overweight and general obesity were 1.853 (1.252, 2.744) and 3.422 (1.894, 6.182), respectively, after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption and educational level. Compared with a normal WC, the ORs and 95% CIs for central obesity were 2.334 (1.573, 3.465) and 2.318 (1.544, 3.479), respectively, for men. For women, compared with a normal BMI, the ORs and 95% CIs were 1.942 (1.473, 2.599) and 4.011 (2.817, 5.712), respectively, after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption and educational level. Compared with a normal WC, the ORs and 95% CIs for central obesity were 2.488 (1.865, 3.319) and 2.379 (1.773, 3.192), respectively, for women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between hypertension and general obesity was stronger than the relationship between hypertension and either overweight or central obesity in both genders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Kang
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Shumei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The College of Physical Education of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Ren
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Fuzhong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055105:Waist Circumference