查看文章

Objective: To measure the prevalence of overweight, obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in rural Australia.

Design, setting and participants: Cross‐sectional surveys were conducted in two rural areas in Victoria and South Australia in 2004–2005. A stratified random sample of men and women aged 25–74 years was selected from the electoral roll. Data were collected by a self‐administered questionnaire, physical measurements and laboratory tests.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of overweight and obesity, as defined by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference; prevalence of MetS and its components.

Results: Data on 806 participants (383 men and 423 women) were analysed. Based on BMI, the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was 74.1% (95% CI, 69.7%–78.5%) in men and 64.1% (95% CI, 59.5%–68.7%) in women. Based on waist circumference, the prevalence of …