Journal article
Prevalence and time trends in overweight and obesity among urban women: an analysis of demographic and health surveys data from 24 African countries, 1991–2014
BMJ open, v 7(10), pp e017344-e017344
01 Oct 2017
PMID: 29079606
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity among non-pregnant urban women in Africa over the past two and a half decades.DesignCross-sectional surveys conducted between 1991 and 2014.SettingsDemographic and Health Surveys (DHS), repeated cross-sectional data collected in 24 African countries.ParticipantsAdult non-pregnant women aged 15–49 years. The earlier DHS collected anthropometric data on only those women who had children aged 0–5 years. The main analyses were limited to this subgroup. The participants were classified as overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and obese (≥30.0 kg/m2).ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity among women increased in all the 24 countries. Trends were statistically significant in 17 of the 24 countries in the case of obesity and 13 of the 24 for overweight. In Ghana, overweight almost doubled (p=0.001) while obesity tripled (p=0.001) between 1993 and 2014. Egypt has the highest levels of overweight and obesity at 44% (95% CI 42%, 46.5%) and 39% (95% CI 36.6%, 41.8%), respectively, in 2014 and the trend showed significant increase (p=0.005) from 1995 levels. Also, obesity doubled in Kenya, Benin, Niger, Rwanda, Ivory Coast and Uganda, while tripled in Zambia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Malawi and Tanzania. Ethiopia and Madagascar had the lowest prevalence of both obesity and overweight, with overweight ranging from 7% to 12% and obesity from 1% to 4%.ConclusionsOverweight and obesity are increasing among women of reproductive age in urban Africa, with obesity among this age group having more than doubled or tripled in 12 of the 24 countries. There is an urgent need for deliberate policies and interventions to encourage active lifestyles and healthy eating behaviour to curb this trend in urban Africa.
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Details
- Title
- Prevalence and time trends in overweight and obesity among urban women: an analysis of demographic and health surveys data from 24 African countries, 1991–2014
- Creators
- Dickson Abanimi Amugsi - African Population and Health Research CenterZacharie T Dimbuene - University of KinshasaBlessing Mberu - African Population and Health Research CenterStella Muthuri - African Population and Health Research CenterAlex C Ezeh - African Population and Health Research Center
- Publication Details
- BMJ open, v 7(10), pp e017344-e017344
- Publisher
- British Medical Journal (BMJ)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000422617500157
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85049900669
- Other Identifier
- 991020531986704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Nutrition & Dietetics