Rupa Singh, Master of Public Health: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: Abdominal obesity is a major public health issue worldwide. It is increasingly prevalent and has been associated with various health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia. Modifying one's lifestyle, particularly dietary habits, is crucial in reducing its prevalence. The objective of the study is to investigate the relationship between modifiable eating behaviors and health-related lifestyles and abdominal obesity in young and middle-aged women.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a regional hospital on 3189 women aged 20-59 receiving yearly medical examinations between April 2018 and March 2021. The study involved measuring the women's waist circumference, and blood pressure, and self-administered questionnaires. This study adheres to the International Diabetes Federation recommendations for Asians, which defines abdominal obesity in women as having a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 80 cm. The effect of eating behaviors and lifestyle on abdominal obesity was assessed using the generalized linear model (GLM).
Results: In the final GLM model, accounting for age (as a continuous variable), smoking, alcohol consumption, sufficient sleep, and comorbidities (including the use of anti-hypertensive, anti-cholesteric, and anti-diabetic medications), two eating behaviors were found to have a significant effect on abdominal obesity. Specifically, eating fast and having dinner within two hours before bedtime was associated with β [95%CI] = 0.365 [1.199-1.731] and β [95%CI] = 0.437 [1.264-1.896] respectively (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: In a four-year observation period, specific eating habits, including eating fast and eating dinner within two hours of bedtime, were associated with abdominal obesity. These results imply that further efforts are necessary to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent health issues related to abdominal obesity.
Funding Sources: This research was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Center of Innovation (COI) program of Japan.
