Factors associated with abdominal obesity among retail workers: an occupational perspective in a cross-sectional study

Aim This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of abdominal obesity among retail workers and its association with sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Subject and methods The sample included workers over 18 years of age. Data collection was conducted in the workplace using a cross-sectional design and a structured questionnaire. Abdominal obesity was assessed by measuring waist circumference (WC), and defined as waist circumference ≥ 80 cm for women and ≥ 94 cm for men, according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The statistical analysis included descriptive tests, chi-square tests, and bi- and multivariate logistic regression models. Results A total of 260 retail workers were evaluated, with a mean age of 33.47 years (SD = 12.30). The prevalence of increased WC was 41.92%, and it was higher among women and consumers of ultra-processed foods ( p < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, female sex ( p < 0.01), age ≥ 40 years ( p = 0.01), consumption of ultra-processed foods ( p < 0.01), and smoking ( p = 0.04) were identified as risk factors for increased WC. Conclusion The high prevalence of increased WC underscores the need for strategies promoting healthy eating and smoking cessation to prevent cardiometabolic diseases in this population.