ABSTRACT
Background: Obesity is an emerging public health problem in Indian population in young adults and its prevalence has risen to epidemic proportions. The most commonly used indicator is body mass index (BMI). However, this indicator takes into account only height and weight but not fat distribution. Measures of abdominal obesity are better than BMI as predictors of cardiovascular disease risk. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of central obesity among young adults attending Outdoor Patient in a Community Health Centre (CHC) of Madurai and to find the association between central obesity and certain sociodemographic factors among the study subjects. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among young adults in the age group of 18–25 who were attending Kallandhiri CHC. Using consecutive convenient sampling, 506 individuals were selected and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data about sociodemographic variables and obesity. The study was conducted between August and October 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 16.0. Simple proportions were calculated and Chi-square test was applied for statistical significance. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of central obesity among young adults was found as 20.9%. Female gender and higher socioeconomic status were found to be associated with central obesity. Conclusion: Around one-fifth young adults were found to be having central obesity. Early identification and proper intervention can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in future.