Overweight and obesity in south central Uganda

A population-based study

Bibliographic Data

ID19591755
AuthorsAdeoluwa Ayoola (0000-0001-8324-6775, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author), Robert Ssekubugu (0000-0003-1245-4774, Rakai Health Sciences Program), M Kate Grabowski (0000-0002-4451-3436, Johns Hopkins University), Mary Kathryn Grabowski, Joseph Ssekasanvu (0000-0002-3721-2299, Johns Hopkins University), Godfrey Kigozi (0009-0008-9142-6870, Rakai Health Sciences Program), Aishat Mustapha (0000-0001-6995-2323, Johns Hopkins University), Steven J Reynolds (0000-0002-5403-2759, National Institutes of Health), Anna Mia Ekström (0000-0002-3912-1171, Danderyds sjukhus), Helena Nordenstedt (0000-0002-9226-6441, Danderyds sjukhus), Rocío Enríquez (0000-0001-9195-7761, Karolinska Institutet), Ronald H Gray (0000-0003-1952-6507, Johns Hopkins University), Maria J Wawer (0000-0002-3601-4469, Rakai Health Sciences Program), Joseph Kagaayi (0000-0003-4101-3038, Rakai Health Sciences Program), Wendy S Post (0000-0002-8655-5204, Johns Hopkins University), Larry W Chang (0000-0001-7985-4567, Johns Hopkins University)
EditorsZulkarnain Jaafar
Year2022
Volume2
Issue11
Pagese0001051
Publication date2022-11-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001051
PMID36962650
OpenAlexW4309496566
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited50

Obesity is a rapidly growing global health challenge, but there are few population-level studies from non-urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m 2 ), obesity (BMI>30 kg/m 2 ), and associated factors using data from May 2018 to November 2020 from the Rakai Community Cohort Study, a population-based cohort of residents aged 15 to 49 living in forty-one fishing, trading, and agrarian communities in South Central Uganda. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence risk ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in 18,079 participants. The overall mean BMI was 22.9 kg/m 2 . Mean BMI was 21.5 kg/m 2 and 24.1 kg/m 2 for males and females, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 22.8% and 6.2%, respectively. Females had a higher probability of overweight/obesity (PRR: 4.11, CI: 2.98–5.68) than males. For female participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, residing in a trading or fishing community (PRR: 1.25, CI 1.16–1.35 and PRR: 1.17, CI 1.10–1.25, respectively), being currently or previously married (PRR: 1.22, CI 1.07–1.40 and PRR: 1.16, CI 1.01–1.34, respectively), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 1.29, CI 1.17–1.45), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.38, CI 1.29–1.48), and reporting alcohol use in the last year (PRR: 1.21, CI 1.10–1.33) were risk factors for overweight/obese. For male participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, being currently married (PRR: 1.94, CI 1.50–2.50), residing in a fishing community (PRR: 1.68, CI 1.40–2.02), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 2.20, CI 1.10–4.40), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.75, CI 1.45–2.11), or fishing (PRR: 1.32, CI 1.03–1.69) increased the probability of overweight/obesity. Non-Muslim participants, male smokers, and HIV-positive females had a lower probability of overweight/obese. The prevalence of overweight/obesity in non-urban Ugandans is substantial. Targeted interventions to high-risk subgroups in this population are needed

Body mass index · Cohort · Cohort study · Confidence interval · Environmental health · Obesity · Overweight · Poisson regression · Population · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Gerontology · Internal Medicine