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Horm Metab Res 2015; 47(11): 839-845
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1559767
Endocrine Care
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Prevalence of Metabolically Healthy Obese and Metabolically Obese but Normal Weight in Adults Worldwide: A Meta-Analysis

B. Wang   *
1   Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
2   Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
R. Zhuang   *
3   School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
4   Shenzhen Health Education and Promotion Center, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
X. Luo
2   Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
L. Yin
5   Department of Prevention and Health Care, Military Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
,
C. Pang
5   Department of Prevention and Health Care, Military Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
,
T. Feng
5   Department of Prevention and Health Care, Military Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
,
H. You
6   Department of Blood Transfusion, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, P. R. China
,
Y. Zhai
7   Department of Public Health Surveillance and Advisory, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, P. R. China
,
Y. Ren
1   Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
2   Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
L. Zhang
1   Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
2   Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, P. R. China
,
L. Li
1   Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
,
J. Zhao
5   Department of Prevention and Health Care, Military Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, P. R. China
,
D. Hu
2   Department of Preventive Medicine, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, P. R. China
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

received 27 August 2014

accepted after second revision 28 July 2015

Publication Date:
04 September 2015 (online)

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Abstract

The objective of the present study was to summarize the prevalence and influencing factors of metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically obese but normal weight (MONW) among people≥18 years old in the general population worldwide. We searched for studies of the prevalence of MHO and MONW published in English and Chinese up to October 2013. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated by a random-effects model according to a Q test. The effects of gender, region, age, sample size, smoking, and alcohol consumption on MHO and MONW were analyzed. Differences between subgroups were assessed by chi-square test. Publication bias was estimated by Egger’s test. Studies of MHO and MONW showed heterogeneity (I2=99.4% and I2=99.7%, respectively). The overall prevalence of MHO and MONW was 7.27% (95% CI 5.92–8.90%) and 19.98% (95% CI 16.54–23.94%), respectively. American populations had the highest MHO prevalence and European populations the highest MONW prevalence. Different patterns of MHO and MONW were observed in the subgroup analysis with respect to gender, age, sample size, smoking, alcohol consumption, and metabolically healthy criteria. The prevalence of both MHO and MONW were affected by gender, region, age, sample size, smoking, alcohol consumption, and metabolically healthy criteria, but studies showed high heterogeneity.

Key words

metabolically healthy obese - metabolically obese but normal weight - prevalence - meta-analysis

* B. Wang and R. Zhuang contributed equally to this work.


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