Association of body size and body fat distribution with uterine fibroids among Chinese women.

BACKGROUND

Uterine fibroids are the most common tumors in reproductive women. The present study aims to identify the relationship between uterine fibroids and body size and body fat distribution among Chinese women.

METHODS

Data on the records of 826 participants who attended health examinations, including 316 cases and 510 controls were collected from 2009 to 2012 at a health examination center in Beijing. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of body size, body fat distribution, and body composition after adjusting for age, age at menarche, gravity, parity, and age at last birth.

RESULTS

Current body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio, body fat mass, body fat percentage, and intracellular water were each positively associated with uterine fibroid. Although the effects in hysterectomy-confirmed cases were frequently greater, we observed no associations with waist circumference, hip circumference, or body fat percentage in this subgroup. Combined with different indicators of fat distribution, women with higher body mass indices and waist-to-hip ratios were at the highest risk, which was significant within the total and separate groups. Women with a body fat percentage greater than 30% were also at a higher risk.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that uterine fibroids in women might be related to excess weight and central obesity.