Lifestyle factors associated with obesity in a cohort of males in the central province of Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Abstract

BackgroundObesity has become a global epidemic. The prevalence of obesity has also increased in the South Asian region in the last decade. However, dietary and lifestyle factors associated with obesity in Sri Lankan adults are unclear. The objective of the current study was to investigate the association of dietary and lifestyle patterns with overweight and obesity in a cohort of males from the Central Province of Sri Lanka.MethodsA total of 2469 males aged between 16 and 72 years () were included in the study. The sample comprised individuals who presented for a routine medical examination at the National Transport Medical Institute, Kandy, Sri Lanka. The Body Mass Index (BMI) cutoff values for Asians were used to categorize the participants into four groups as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. The data on dietary and lifestyle patterns such as level of physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleeping hours and other socio demographic data were obtained using validated self-administered questionnaires. Multinomial logistic regression model was fitted to assess the associations of individual lifestyle patterns with overweight and obesity.ResultsThe mean BMI of the study group was 22.7 kg m−2 and prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 31.8 and 12.3%, respectively. Mean waist circumference of the participants was 78.6 cm with 17.1% of them being centrally obese. After adjusting for potential confounders, weight status was associated with older age (P < 0.0001), ethnicity (P = 0.0033) and higher income (P = 0.0006). While higher physical activity showed a trend for being associated with lower odds of being obese (odds ratio: 0.898 – confidence interval: 0.744–1.084), alcohol intake, consumption of fruits, level of education, sleeping hours, smoking, consumption of fish, meat, dairy, sweets or fried snacks were not significantly associated with the weight status.ConclusionThe high prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in working-age males is a threatening sign for Sri Lanka. Since the prevalence rate is higher in certain ethnic groups and higher-income groups, targeted interventions for these groups may be necessary.

Fewer teeth are a risk factor for being underweight in community‐dwelling Japanese aged 40 years and older: The Yamagata (Takahata) Study

“…14,19,39 In the present study, female sex, a history of cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking habit, appetite, body weight at 20 years of age, frequency of eating out, stressful life events and working days per week, but not the number of teeth, were independent risk factors for being overweight, and most of these factors have been described as risk factors for being overweight in previous studies. 6,11,19,[39][40][41][42][43] Considering these results and background, our results regarding the risk factors for being overweight are also reasonable. Notably, the previous results were derived from cross-sectional studies; therefore, further studies with a prospective cohort design and long-term follow-up are necessary to clarify the association between tooth loss and being overweight.…”

Demographic, Socio-economic and Lifestyle Determinants of Under- and Over-nutrition among Bangladeshi Adult Population: Results from a Large Cross-Sectional Study

“…A recent study from South India in adult population of >19 years of age reported prevalence of underweight 22.7% and prevalence of overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 23) 37.0% [27]. Another study of Sri Lankan male population of age 16-72 years, prevalence of overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 23) was found to be 44.1% [15].…”

“…A recent study in Bangladesh reported older age, lower education level and poverty are positively associated with underweight while younger age, female gender, higher education level, affluence and urban residence are positively associated with overweight [4]. An study conducted in adult males in Sri Lanka showed that older age, higher family income and higher education level are positively associated with overweight and obesity [15]. Another study in India among women showed that lower socioeconomic status increased the risk of being underweight while higher socioeconomic status increased the risk of being overweight [16].…”

“…Studies in developed countries have extensively examined associations of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors with underweight and overweight [11][12][13][14]. However, very few studies in Bangladesh and other South Asian countries have studied factors associated with overweight and underweight [15]. A recent study in Bangladesh reported older age, lower education level and poverty are positively associated with underweight while younger age, female gender, higher education level, affluence and urban residence are positively associated with overweight [4].…”

Does obesity affect cognitive functions in middle-aged adulthood? A comparative study in Sri Lanka

“…Higher socioeconomic status and the ethnicity of Moors have been identified as factors that more vulnerable to obesity. Besides, obesity leads to many public health problems and increases the economic burden of health care [4].…”