Incidence of overweight and obesity in a Mediterranean population-based cohort: The Cornellà Health Interview Survey Follow-up Study (CHIS.FU)

ObjectiveTo study the changes in body mass index (BMI) in a population-based cohort and their relationship with sociodemographic variables in a Mediterranean-country.MethodA prospective population-based cohort with 8-year follow-up. The data used derive from the Cornellà-Health-Interview Survey Follow-up (CHIS.FU). 1008 people aged ≥ 20 years (females = 508; males = 500) were interviewed in 1994 and in 2002, providing self-reported weight and height data. The BMI was compared using the Wilcoxon test for paired data. Changes in the BMI were calculated and their relationship with sociodemographic-variables and lifestyles using multivariate Breslow–Cox regression.Results28.1% of participants had changed from normal-BMI in 1994 to overweight in 2002 (women = 25.6%; men = 31.6%). 16.8% increased from overweight to obesity (women = 25.8%; men = 11.2%). The cumulative incidence of overweight: women = 26.4%; men = 34.0%. The cumulative incidence of obesity: women = 29.9%; men = 13.1%. The cumulative age and sex-adjusted incidence of overweight showed a significant relationship with marital-status (married: RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2–3.4, divorced/widowed: RR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.7–9.3) and moderate alcohol-consumption (RR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). We observed a decreased age-adjusted risk in the incidence of obesity for men (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8).ConclusionThe observed changes in the increase in the incidence of obesity and overweight indicated a similar evolution in the obesity epidemic regardless of Mediterranean dietary patterns in our population.