Objective To explore obesity status, blood pressure level and their interrelationship among 20 – 39 years old residents in Liaoning province.

Methods We extracted and analyzed the data on 5 313 residents aged 20 – 39 years from the dataset of two waves of National Physical Fitness Surveillance conducted in Liaoning province in 2010 and 2014. Body mass index (BMI) was used for assessment of overweight and obesity and waist circumstance (WC) for central obesity.

Results For all the participants, the prevalence rate of overweight was 28.6% (36.0% for the males and 21.2% for the females); the prevalence rate of obesity rate was 11.7% (17.7% for the males and 5.9% for the females); the prevalence rate of central obesity was 38.1% (50.3% for the males and 26.1% for the females); the prevalence rate of elevated blood pressure was 12.5% (15.3% for the males and 9.8% for the females); and the prevalence rate of hypertension was 54.8% (58.9% for the males and 30.8% for the females). Logistic regression analysis revealed that compared to those with normal BMI, the participants with overweight or obesity were at higher risks of elevated blood pressure (1.33 and 1.59 times higher for the overweight males and females, 2.01 and 1.95 times higher for the obese males and females), stageⅠ hypertension (2.10 and 1.72 times higher for the overweight males and females, and 3.37 and 2.76 times higher for the obese males and females) and stageⅡ hypertension (2.05 and 2.25 times higher for the overweight males and females, and 6.77 and 3.75 times higher for the obese males and females); for the male participants, those with low BMI (< 18.5 kg/m²) were at significantly lower risks of elevated blood pressure (odds ratio OR = 0.48), stageⅠ hypertension (OR = 0.58) and stageⅡ hypertension (OR = 0.41) in comparison with those with normal BMI; the male participants with increased WC or waist-to-hip ratio were at significantly higher risks of stageⅠ and Ⅱ hypertension (OR = 1.42 – 1.79), while, the female participants with higher waist-to-height ratio were at a significantly higher risk of stageⅡ hypertension (OR = 1.81 – 5.18) (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion Overweight, obesity and/or central obesity associate with elevated blood pressure among 20 – 39 years old residents in Liaoning province; for young adults, body mass index is a obesity-related indicator most strongly correlating with blood pressure level and the indicator could effectively predict hypertension among young male adults when combined with waist circumstance and waist-to-hip ratio and among young female adults when combined with waist-to-height ratio.