Marital status associated with abdominal circumference in Peruvian adults, 2022

Abstract

Introduction. Cohabitation or marriage can lead to changes in eating patterns and physical activity, affecting anthropometric parameters such as abdominal perimeter. Objective. To determine the relationship between marital status and abdominal circumference in Peruvian adults. Methodology. Observational, analytical, retrospective and cross-sectional study based on data from the national family health survey. The population was 29,206 adults aged 18 and older. The variables were: marital status, sex, abdominal circumference. The Chi-square test, Cramer's V, Odds Ratio and crude and adjusted prevalence ratio were used through binary logistic regression and Poisson regression, respectively, where the adjustment variables were: alcohol consumption, ethnic group, mother tongue, educational level, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and age. Results. The average abdominal circumference was higher in married/cohabiting adults in both sexes, reaching the risk range. Married/cohabiting women had high percentages of at-risk abdominal circumference (85.30%) while in men in the married/cohabiting group the normal circumference was more frequent (57.70%). In the multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression, women whose marital status was married/cohabiting had a 2.39 times greater probability of abdominal circumference at risk than single women a prevalence of 1.42 times higher. In married/cohabiting men, the probability of a high abdominal circumference was 1.40 times higher than in single men, with a prevalence 1.31 times higher. Conclusion. Married/cohabiting marital status is associated with a greater probability of high abdominal circumference in this population.