Sex differences in abdominal obesity: Findings from a cross-sectional study abdominal obesity by sex

Objective: This study examined the prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO) and dietary habits among adult men and women living in urban and semi-urban areas, as well as the factors associated with these conditions. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2019 among 296 individuals aged 18 and over, selected from urban and semi-urban areas of Manisa province using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, dietary habits, and waist circumference. AO was defined according to World Health Organization cut-off points. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and logistic regression in SPSS 27.0. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study population consisted of 74.0% females and 26.0% males, with a mean age of 45.3±14.3 years. The overall prevalence of AO was 54.4%, with a significantly higher prevalence among females (59.4%) compared to males (40.3%). In both sexes, age and residence in semi-urban areas were significantly associated with abdominal obesity. Additionally, eating behavior was significantly related to AO in men, whereas in women, unemployment was a significant factor. Conclusion: AO is common, especially among women, and is associated with age, residential area, eating behavior in men, and employment status in women. Population-level interventions targeting healthy environments, dietary habits, and socioeconomic factors-particularly for women- are essential to reduce its burden.