ABSTRACT
Background: Abdominal obesity once considered an aesthetic rather than a pathological condition is now recognized as a principal risk factor for metabolic syndrome and magnifies the risk of cardiovascular diseases. As the case detection rate of abdominal obesity increases in Nigeria determining its predictors remain relevant for proactive control intervention. Aim: This study was designed to determine the predictors of abdominal obesity among adult Nigerians in a resource-poor environment of a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria. Study Design: A hospital based case-control study carried out on 700 adult patients aged 18-91 years who were screened for abdominal obesity using the third report of National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) in adult (ATP III) criterion and 350 patients who had waist circumference (WC) ≥102cm and ≥88cm for men and women respectively and met the inclusion criteria were matched for age and sex with 350 non-obese, non-hypertensive and non-diabetic control. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at a rural hospital in Eastern Nigeria between June 2008 and June 2011. Methodology: Predictor variables were assessed using a pretested, structured and interviewer-administered questionnaire. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were defined using JNC 7 and American Diabetic Association criteria respectively. Results: Abdominal obesity was significantly associated with physical inactivity (p=.002) and family history of obesity (p=.036). The most significant predictor of abdominal obesity was physical inactivity (OR=4.19, p=.001). The abdominally obese patients were four times more likely to be physically inactive compared to their non-abdominally obese counterparts. Conclusion: This study has shown that the predictors of abdominal obesity among the study population were physical inactivity and family history of obesity. The interventional control programs for abdominal obesity should consider these predictive variables alongside the complex of other cardiovascular risk factors.