Pattern and correlates of obesity among public service workers in Ondo State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Obesity is the third leading cause of mortality and has become a global epidemic. There is a continuous increase in its prevalence both in the developed and in developing countries. Obesity is closely associated with chronic health conditions, thus increasing the overall burden of disease and disability at the population level. Several factors have been identified as contributors to the obesity epidemic, and may include the work environment and lifestyle behaviours. This study sought to determine the correlates of obesity among public service workers in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving 4 828 public civil service workers across 47 ministries, departments and agencies in Ondo State, Nigeria. Relevant demographic and lifestyle measures were obtained using the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise Questionnaire. Height and weight were measured using standardised procedures. Obesity and overweight were defined according to the WHO Criteria as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 30 kg/m 2 and 25-29.9 kg/m 2 , respectively. Bivariate and multivariate (logistic regression models) analyses were used to determine the significant predictors of obesity. Results: Of the total participants (n = 4828), there was a male to female ratio of 1:1 (male = 2 299 and female = 2 529). One in every five participants was found to be obese with 55% of the participants having a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . In the bivariate analysis, female sex (p < 0.000), age above 41 years (p < 0.000), post-primary education level (p < 0.001), marriage (p < 0.000), no alcohol consumption (p < 0.001), diabetes (p < 0.000) as well as hypertension (p < 0.000) were significantly associated with obesity. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for confounders, only female sex (AOR = 5.7, CI = 4.7-6.9), age (AOR = 1.4, CI = 1.1-1.8), level of education (AOR = 0.8, CI = 0.7-0.9), marital status (AOR = 2.1, CI = 1.7-2.), alcohol consumption (AOR = 0.7, CI = 0.5-0.9), diabetes mellitus (AOR = 0.7, CI = 0.5-0.9) and hypertension (AOR = 0.5, CI = 0.4-0.6) were the significant and independent predictors of obesity. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of obesity among public service workers in Akure, Nigeria, possibly attributed to ageing, being of female gender, being married, and having other non-communicable diseases. A well-implemented workplace policy focusing on integrated screening for obesity and non-communicable diseases should be prioritised in Nigeria.

Prevalence, Associated Socio-demographic Variables, and Health Conditions of Overweight and Obesity among Nurses in a Tertiary Health Institution in North-West Nigeria

“…The study findings also revealed that the senior ranked nurses from assistant chief nursing officer to assistant director of nursing had obesity and those on the senior nursing officer and principal nursing officer rank were overweight. These findings were similar to that of Isaac [20], who reported that the prevalence of overweight and obesity were strongly associated with aging (≥ 41 years), female gender and being married. Similarly, [24] reported obesity and increasing age are the major risk factors fueling increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among the participants.…”

“…There is a continuous increase in obesity prevalence both in developed and developing countries with its associated chronic health conditions, thus increasing the overall burden of disease and disability at the population level. Several factors have been identified as contributors, including the work environment and lifestyle behaviours [20][21][22], the female gender, marriage, low physical activity level, positive family history, the urban area of residence, and age ≥40 years [15] as well as the urban, professional, high socioeconomic variables of Nigerian adults [13].…”

Assessment of Knowledge and Physical Activity Pattern of Civil Servants in Ilorin South Local Government, Kwara State, Nigeria

“…According to Quintiliani (2008), stated that workplace offers several advantages for promoting physical activity because a substantial number of the workforce can be reached and multiple levels of influence on behaviour can be targeted. Civil servants constitute a large percentage of a nation's workforce and majority of them are at high risk of obesity due to the lifestyle of physical inactivity (Isaac et al, 2017). Considering the key role played by the civil servants in the economy of a nation, it will be highly risky to ignore them as physical inactivity could lead to consortium of diseases which will ultimately affect their health leading to absenteeism from work, low productivity and ultimately take a toll on the nation's economy.…”

Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in an Urban Area of South East Nigeria

“…Other characteristics of the distribution of obesity/overweight in Nigeria include its high prevalence along with socioeconomic class and in mid-life [13]- [19] with some studies reporting that more than 55% were either overweight or obese [1] [13]. The peak prevalence of obesity in most studies from Nigeria is midlife [1] [2] [3] [15] [20], while the lowest prevalence of obesity is observed below 20 years [15] [20].…”