Prevalence and associated factors of the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype among rural farmers in southeastern Brazil
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype has been proposed as a simple marker for identifying individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk. However, there is a lack of evidence of its use in rural populations, especially in the Brazilian context. Objective: to estimate the prevalence of HTGW and analyze associated factors according to sex among family farmers living in a rural municipality in southeastern Brazil. Methods: a cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted with 764 farmers aged 18–59 years selected through stratified sampling. Sociodemographic, occupational and lifestyle information was collected through structured questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical tests were performed to determine waist circumference and triglyceride levels. HTGW was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Sex-stratified analyses were performed. Associations between HTGW and independent variables were initially assessed through bivariate analyses, and variables presenting p<0.20, in addition to those considered relevant according to a previous theoretical model, were included in the multivariable analysis. Adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance were fitted hierarchically: sociodemographic variables were included in the first model, followed by lifestyle and health-related variables in the final model. Prevalence Ratios (PR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Analyses were conducted using STATA version 17, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of HTGW was 13.2%, with a similar distribution between sexes. In the final regression model, among men, only nutritional status remained associated with the phenotype, where the prevalence of HTGW was 12.91 (95% CI 3.91 – 42.65) and 27.19 (95% CI 8.04 – 91.98) times higher in those with overweight and obesity, respectively. Among women, the prevalence of HTGW was significantly higher in those over 41 years old (PR = 6.34 [95% CI 1.68 – 23.86]; PR = 4.99 [95% CI 1.16 – 21.45]), non-white (PR = 2.09 [95% CI 1.04 – 4.22]), smokers (PR = 3.56 [95% CI 1.16 – 10.86]), those with overweight or obese (PR = 3.77 [95% CI 1.42 – 10.02]; PR = 7.82 [95% CI 2.92 – 20.90], respectively) and had uncontrolled hypertension (PR = 2.44 [95% CI 1.08 – 5.49]). Finally, the prevalence of the phenotype was lower among women with less than 8 years of education (PR = 0.31 [95% CI 0.13 – 0.78] for <4 years of schooling and PR = 0.24 [95% CI 0.08 – 0.73] for 4 and <8 years). Conclusion: HTGW showed a considerable prevalence among family farmers, with distinct associated factors according to sex. While excess weight was the main factor associated with the phenotype among men, women also presented sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related factors associated with HTGW. These findings reinforce the importance of sex-specific strategies for screening and prevention of cardiometabolic risk in rural populations.
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7212631978