Objective:

To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic factors and abdominal obesity in Mexican adults.

Methodology:

A Probit model with binary dependent variable that indicates the incidence of abdominal obesity was estimated; the independent variables used were the socioeconomic factors of adults between 20 and 59 years. The data comes from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), 2006 and 2012.

Results:

Per capita expenditure, urban residence, basic housing services, access to health services, social support for food, sedentary lifestyle and consumption of junk food increase the likelihood of abdominal obesity; while other factors negatively associated with abdominal obesity were schooling, being an indigenous language speaker, belonging to a single parent home and physical activity.

Limitations:

Reduction of the sample size in some variables for the 2012 survey and the lack of more updated data and with the same level of detail on food consumption.

Conclusions:

Apart from genetic factors, socioeconomic factors are determinants of the incidence of abdominal obesity among Mexican adults.

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