Association between Chinese Famine Exposure and the Risk of Overweight/Obesity and Abdominal Obesity in Laterlife: A Cross-sectional Study

Biomed Environ Sci. 2020 Feb 20;33(2):133-137. doi: 10.3967/bes2020.017.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the association between famine exposure in different stages of life and the risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in laterlife. A total of 12,458 participants were categorized into non-exposure and four direct exposures, including fetal, childhood, adolescence, and adult exposure. Only risk of being overweight or obesity in adolescence exposure [odds ratio ( OR), 1.45; 95% confidence interval ( CI), 1.08-1.94] was significantly higher than in non-exposure. Childhood ( OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05-1.54) and adolescence ( OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.15-2.05) exposures had significantly an increased risk of abdominal obesity compared with non-exposure. Additionally, different famine severity exposures had different influences on the development of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity. Famine exposure in adolescence, which was a behavior formative period, can increase the risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in adulthood, specifically in famine severely affect area.

Keywords: Abdominal obesity; Famine; Overweight/obesity.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • China
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Famine*
  • Female
  • Fetus / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Obesity, Abdominal / epidemiology
  • Obesity, Abdominal / etiology
  • Overweight / epidemiology*
  • Overweight / etiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Young Adult