Objectives: Hitherto regarded as a public health issue of well-heeled nations, overweight and obesity have emerged as a problem of concern in developing nations. Although social and demographic factors are equally important as proximal lifestyle factors affecting health, their role is neither well researched nor well understood. We conducted a novel study to determine the distribution, prevalence, and social and demographic determinants of overweight/obesity in Malawi.
Methods: A population-based, quantitative cross-sectional study using data from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015-2016) was conducted among non-pregnant women aged 18-49 years. A total of 6,443 women were included in the analysis. Overweight/obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25.0 kg/m2 , was the main outcome variable. The analysis was done in SPSS version 20.0; after calculating descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate associations and determine odds.
Results: In total, 16.8% and 6.3% of women were overweight and obese, respectively (p<0.001). Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in urban than in rural areas. The BMI distribution among women varied across different background characteristics. Women from the Ngoni ethnicity were more likely to be overweight/obese than others (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 2.08). Socioeconomic status (SES) and the age of the respondent were highly significant determinants that were strongly associated with being overweight/obese. The richest women were 3 times more likely to be overweight/obese than the poorest (aOR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.46 to 4.43).
Conclusions: Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent and significantly associated with increasing SES, age, and being from the Ngoni ethnicity. Holistic interventions should also focus on improving social determinants in order to entirely curb the epidemic.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6883023 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2019039 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Using the Nutri-Score to visualise food reformulation in Germany: the case of breakfast cereals.
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Nutritional Behaviour, Max Rubner-Institut (MRI) - Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Straße 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Background: The reformulation of commonly consumed foods towards less sugar, fat, and salt is an important public health strategy to improve food choices of consumers and thus address the high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Front-of-pack nutrition labels like the Nutri-Score may drive reformulation and support nutritionally favourable food choices. Breakfast cereals are of special interest in that they tend to be high in sugar and are relatively often targeted at children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise-based intervention to prevent gestational diabetes in women with overweight or obesity.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
January 2025
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Reina Sofía Hospital, Tudela, Spain.
Background: There is evidence that exercise may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and improve other obstetric outcomes in overweight or obese pregnant women. However, the available evidence is of low quality and inconclusive. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of exercise, compared with usual care, in reducing GDM and other obstetric risks, in overweight and obese pregnant women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Interplay between Sleep Quality, Hedonic Hunger, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among Early Adolescents.
Appetite
January 2025
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Türkiye. Electronic address:
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality, hedonic hunger, and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) in early adolescents and to investigate if hedonic hunger would mediate the influence of sleep quality on adherence to the MD.
Method: A total of 786 middle school students (boys, 51%) aged 10-14 years were included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data.
Accelerometry-assessed sleep clusters and obesity in adolescents and young adults: a longitudinal analysis in GINIplus/LISA birth cohorts.
World J Pediatr
January 2025
Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
Background: Some studies have revealed various sleep patterns in adolescents and adults using multidimensional objective sleep parameters. However, it remains unknown whether these patterns are consistent from adolescence to young adulthood and how they relate to long-term obesity.
Methods: Seven-day accelerometry was conducted in German Infant Study on the influence of Nutrition Intervention PLUS environmental and genetic influences on allergy development (GINIplus) and Influence of Lifestyle factors on the development of the Immune System and Allergies in East and West Germany (LISA) birth cohorts during the 15-year and 20-year follow-ups, respectively.
Impact of high maternal body mass index on fetal cerebral cortical and cerebellar volumes.
J Perinat Med
January 2025
Tufts Medical Center, Mother Infant Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Objectives: Maternal obesity increases a child's risk of neurodevelopmental impairment. However, little is known about the impact of maternal obesity on fetal brain development.
Methods: We prospectively recruited 20 healthy pregnant women across the range of pre-pregnancy or first-trimester body mass index (BMI) and performed fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their healthy singleton fetuses.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!