Prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults from North Africa

Abstract

The share of North African immigrants in Europe is growing continuously. In this review, we aimed to systematically analyse and describe the literature on weight status and physical activity in North African adults, both in their home country and after immigration to Europe. Existing data on North African residents and on North African immigrants in Europe were analysed by a systematic search on PUBMED. There is a wide variation among countries in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, with immigrants showing higher values. The overall results revealed a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in females than in males in North African residents. Females also show higher levels of obesity among immigrants. In particular, literature reports indicate that 1.3-47.8% of North African residents and 3.6-49.4% of North African immigrants in adult age are overweight or obese. Physical inactivity is higher than 20% in males and 40% in females in North African residents. The highest frequency of physically inactive or lightly active people among immigrants was observed in first-generation Sudanese and Moroccans in Amsterdam (males: 57.1%; females: 74.2%), with increasing rates in second-generation females. The results underline a higher health risk in North African immigrants than in residents. Specific public health strategies should be adopted in various populations of North African origin to control the obesity epidemic.

Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors Associated With Overweight and Obesity Among Adults in Mayo Area in Khartoum State-Sudan

“…Also in line with that reported in Turkey, obesity more prevalent among women than men [7] . This results in line with that found in the Middle East and North Africa, overweight and obesity higher among females than males [19] .…”

“…Both developed and developing countries are experiencing increasing rates of overweight and obesity [18] . Obesity is not only considered as a disease in itself, but it also known to be a risk factor for certain chronic diseases, in particular being closely associated with pathologies like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer [19] .…”

Obesity Inequalities According to Place of Birth: The Role of Education

“…Therefore, most studies conclude that the worst socioeconomic and labor conditions, the lowest social support and the highest discrimination of the immigrant population may explain their poor mental and physical health outcomes compared to the native population [11,12,13]. With regards to obesity in Europe, studies report higher prevalence estimates of obesity among immigrant population compared to their native counterparts [14,15,16,17]. However, this difference may be explained by the lower socioeconomic position of the immigrant population.…”

Efeitos De Uma Intervenção Com Pedômetro Sobre O Risco Metabólico Em Crianças Obesas

“…A obesidade é uma doença multifatorial que está associada ao desenvolvimento de inúmeras doenças crônicas não transmissíveis como diabetes mellitus, dislipidemia e hipertensão arterial 1,2 . Dados recentes apontam um crescente aumento na incidência de obesos na população mundial [2][3][4] .…”

“…Dados recentes apontam um crescente aumento na incidência de obesos na população mundial [2][3][4] . Embora suas causas sejam multifacetadas, a inatividade física tem sido apontada como um dos principais fatores relacionados a obesidade, uma vez que interfere diretamente sobre o balanço energético 5 .…”