A comparison of lifestyle management practices of residents of three chinese cities: Hong Kong, Macau and Weihai (Shandong)

Hong Kong, Macau and Weihai are modernized cities on the eastern coast of China with Western influences. This study compared the lifestyle management practices of residents in these three cities. Using a stratified random sampling technique, people in three Chinese cities were administered lifestyle surveys by telephone interviews, street interviews or questionnaires. Weihai had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity (51.7%, p < .001) than Hong Kong (36.1%) or Macau (31.7%). Hong Kong (15.1%) and Macau (15.3%) had more underweight residents than Weihai (9.9%). Central obesity was significant (p < .001) in Hong Kong (20.2%), Macau (8.0%), and Weihai (43.7%). Hong Kong and Macau male residents and postmenopausal females had more irregular meals and consumed more snacks, and in Weihai both the workforce and older people appeared to have a serious central obesity problem. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is a serious problem in these three cities. Public education regarding good practices and intervention strategies in Asian cities and in other parts of the world could be used to promote and cultivate better lifestyle management practices in the future.