Association between obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Moroccan adults: Evidence from the BOLD study

Abstract

Objective: The Moroccan cross-sectional study aimed to investigate obesity in association to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Fez city. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Moroccan adults. Anthropometric and spirometry measurements were performed using standardized guidelines. Results: Among the 744 participants, 53.9% of were women, with a mean age of 55.27 years (SD = 10.29). Nearly all women declared themselves to be never smokers, while 21% of men were current smokers. Overall, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence decreased with body mass index ( p = 0.01) and waist circumference ( p < 0.001). The same trends were also observed in women. The adjusted regression analysis showed a significant independent association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and decreasing overweight (ORa: 0.66; CI95% (0.40–0.98)), obesity (ORa: 0.66 CI95%: (0.36–0.89)), and a decreasing waist circumference-abdominal obesity (ORa: 0.58 CI95%: (0.34–0.99)) in the whole population. The same association remains significant in women for overweight (ORa: 0.18 CI95%: (0.06–0.54)) and for waist circumference-abdominal obesity (ORa: 0.40 CI95%: (0.19–0.85)). All these associations disappeared for men. Conclusion: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease decreases with the increase in body mass index and waist circumference. The effect of waist circumference on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was greater among women, regardless of the tobacco factor. A multicenter study would help to confirm the accuracy of these findings in a larger sample of the Moroccan population. Developed lifestyle programs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be considered.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) in Screening for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

“…23–25 COPD is a major public health problem in Morocco. 15 , 26 , 27 Our study revealed a prevalence of 6.7%. This value is lower than that reported by a previous national study, which reported a prevalence of 12.6%.…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Users of Primary Health Care Facilities in Morocco

“…Benslimane et al observed a 25% reduction in the prevalence of COPD in obese individuals. 38 In addition, Atassi et al found a statistically significant association between low socio-economic status and the development of COPD. 39 Taken together, these data demonstrate the importance of other risk factors in the development of COPD among non-smokers.…”