Objective: To explore the changes of individual waist circumference and the prevalence of abdominal adiposity in Beijing from 1992 to 2002.
Methods: In this prospective study, the baseline survey was carried out in 4154 subjects aged 35-44 in 1992 in Beijing. These subjects were called back and re-examined in 2002. Data were analyzed for 2740 subjects with complete records of the two surveys.
Results: The mean level of waist circumference increased from 83.7 cm to 87.9 cm in males, and from 76.5 cm to 82.3 cm in females. A more significant increase was observed in female than in males. The prevalence of abdominal adiposity increased from 21.2% to 36.7% in males, and from 13.6% to 33.9% in female. The greatest increase occurred in subjects of ages 35 to 44 years rather than in the elders. Seventy percent of individuals with waist circumference in the lowest or highest quartile at baseline maintained the same rank after 10 years.
Conclusion: Both the mean level of waist circumference and the prevalence of abdominal adiposity increased significantly in a period of ten years in Beijing area, with the most significant increase observed in the younger age group.