OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the body and abdominal obesity in post-menopausal women, according to educational level, level of physical activity, use of hormone therapy (HT), and parity. METHODS: 157 post-menopausal women, attending two public out-patients clinics in the city of São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil, were interviewed. The prevalence of body obesity was calculated using the body mass index (BMI >30.0) and the body fat percentage (%BF > 37%). Abdominal obesity was calculated using the waist hip ratio (WHR >0.85). RESULTS: the prevalence of body obesity was 34.4% (using the BMI) and 40.1% (using %BF). The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 73.8%. Most of the women had up to seven years of formal schooling (47.8%), were considered sedentary or insufficiently active (52.3%), and had never used oral HT or had been using it for less than 12 months (72.0%). A higher prevalence of body obesity was found women who engaged in little physical activity and did not use HT (p<0.05). As for abdominal obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), only the level of education was associated with WHR (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: post-menopausal women who are physically active and use HT showed a lower prevalence of body obesity, although the prevalence of abdominal obesity was still high and higher still among those with a lower level of education.
Menopause; Global obesity; Abdominal obesity
