Gender-specific prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease among government employees in Tianjin, China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in Tianjin government employees of different genders. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Health Management Center of Tianjin Union Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: 16 924 government employees (59.6% male). MEASURES: Ultrasound liver examination was performed to determine whether there is fat accumulation in the organ. Participants’ weight and height were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MAFLD in this population was 40.76%. The rates were significantly higher in men (49.42%) than in women (27.97%). The prevalence of MAFLD was highest in men aged 40–49 years (54.04%) and women aged 60–69 years (43.44%). In all BMI groups, the prevalence was higher in men than that in women. In both genders, higher BMI was associated with the risk of MAFLD, especially for BMI ≥31.9 kg/m(2). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MAFLD in government employees in Tianjin was significantly higher than the average level in China. The prevalence varied by sex and age group, and those with high BMI were at the highest risk of developing MAFLD.