Household motor vehicle use and weight status among Colombian adults: Are we driving our way towards obesity?

Objective: To determine the associations between household motor vehicle ownership and weight status among Colombian adults. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the 2005 Demographic and HealthSurvey of Colombia. Height, weight and waist circumference were objectively measured in 49,079 adults, ages 18 to 64 that resided in urban settings. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference > 80 cm in women and > 90 cm in men. Results: Prevalence was 19.9% for motor vehicle ownership in household, 33.1% for BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m², 14.4% for BMI > 30 kg/m², and 46% for abdominal obesity. Males reporting any household motor vehicle ownership were more likely to be overweight or obese, and to have abdominal obesity (p for gender * exposure variables interaction = < 0.001). Conclusions: Household motor vehicle ownership is associated with overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity among Colombian men but not women.