Socioeconomic and lifestyle determinants of body fat distribution in young working males from Cracow, Poland

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the degree of explanation of the central adiposity variation, presented by waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and the sum of the three trunk skinfold thicknesses (subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac) (TTS) through the socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle. The material included cross-sectional population-based research of 259 healthy working males aged 20-30 from the city of Cracow, Poland. Objective anthropometric measurements, the results of motor fitness tests, and social and lifestyle data from a questionnaire were analyzed. The independent variables were: age, SES (the birthplace, place of residence until the age of 14, social class, educational level, and the type of work done), and lifestyle elements (smoking habits, dietary habits, family obesity resemblance, sport activity in the past, leisure time physical activity (LTPA), and the level of motor fitness). Three separate full models were created using stepwise straightforward regression with WC, WHR, and TTS as dependent variables. The highest autonomous influence on WC was ascribed to age, level of motor fitness, and family obesity resemblance. Variation in WHR was explained by age, level of motor fitness, upper-middle class, LTPA, and village as the birthplace. Level of motor fitness, place of residence until the age of 14 (city), age, smoking fewer than 20 cigarettes a day, and family obesity resemblance had greatest influence on TTS. The findings indicated the importance, besides age, of lifestyle elements connected with motor fitness and LTPA in determining body fat distribution in young working males.