title: Secular trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults in rural Tianjin, China from 1991 to 2011: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity is associated with cardiovascular diseases and has become the main public health issue in western countries and urban China. However, the prevalence and secular trends of obesity in rural China are currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate secular trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural adults in northern China between 1991 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity was assessed in adults aged 35-74 years living in a rural area in northern China by comparing two surveys that were conducted in 1991 and 2011, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-adjusted prevalence of overweight increased from 24.5% in 1991 to 42.0% in 2011, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 5.7% in 1991 to 19.6% in 2011. Over the 21-year period, there were significant increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity for both men and women in all age groups; however, the greatest increase was observed in men aged 35-44 years, with an 10.3-fold increase in obesity prevalence. The prevalence of obesity increased significantly in all risk factors categories, including education levels, blood pressure categories, diabetes previous history, current smoking situation and alcohol drinking situation over the past 21 years overall (p<0.05). The greatest increase in obesity prevalence appeared among those who consumed alcohol (increased by 8.0-fold). Next, there was a 5.3-fold increase in the prevalence of obesity in illiterate residents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased rapidly among rural adults in Tianjin over the past 21 years, with the most dramatic increase observed in young men. Therefore, the burden of obesity should serve as a call for action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xianjia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yihe
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tianjin Dagang Oilfield General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Hongfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center and Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ta-Chen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio