Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of participants according to obesity indicators {waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI)} based on Healthy Ireland Survey 2017 data

Age (years)

 25–44

2517 (36.7%)

91.7 (13.72)

 < 0.001^a

880 (35.1%)

765 (30.5%)

865 (34.5%)

 < 0.001^b

 45 + 

4346 (63.3%)

97.0 (14.68)

903 (20.9%)

1417 (32.7%)

2007 (46.4%)

Sex

 Male

3035 (44.2%)

97.7 (12.68)

 < 0.001^a

1217 (31.9%)

987 (25.8%)

1616 (42.3%)

 < 0.001^b

 Female

3828 (55.8%)

89.1 (14.18)

566 (18.8%)

1195 (39.6%)

1257 (41.7%)

Marital status

 Single²

3000 (43.7%)

92.9 (15.21)

0.272^a

826 (27.6%)

827 (27.6%)

1341 (44.8%)

 < 0.001^b

 Married³

3864 (56.3%)

93.3 (13.34)

957 (24.9%)

1355 (35.2%)

1532 (39.9%)

Residency

 Urban

4147 (60.6%)

92.7 (14.09)

0.004^a

1116 (27.0%)

1340 (32.4%)

1674 (40.5%)

0.007^b

 Rural

2717 (39.6%)

93.8 (14.28)

667 (24.6%)

842 (31.1%)

1199 (44.3%)

Educational status

 Low/medium

4357 (63.5%)

95.0 (14.40)

 < 0.001^a

971 (22.4%)

1371 (31.6%)

1999 (46.0%)

 < 0.001^b

 High

2506 (36.5%)

90.1 (13.25)

812 (32.5%)

811 (32.5%)

874 (35.0%)

Employment status

 Employed

3402 (59.0%)

93.0 (14.08)

 < 0.006^a

1703 (26.1%)

2078 (31.9%)

2735 (42.0%)

0.874^b

 Unemployed⁴

2361 (41.0%)₁

95.5 (15.64)

1783 (26.1%)

104 (32.3%)

138 (42.9%)

Full medical card

 Yes

2855 (41.6%)

95.3 (15.28)

 < 0.001^a

618 (21.7%)

829 (29.1)

1400 (49.2%)

 < 0.001^b

 No

4009 (58.4%)

91.7 (13.22)

1165 (29.2%)

1353 (33.9%)

1473 (36.9%)

Private HI⁵

 Yes

3160 (46.0%)

92.3 (13.6%)

 < 0.001^a

875 (27.8%)

1084 (34.4%)

1188 (37.8%)

 < 0.001^b

 No

3704 (54.0%)

93.9 (14.6%)

908 (24.6%)

1098 (29.7%)

1685 (45.7%)