Ten‐year Changes in Central Obesity and BMI in Rural and Urban Cameroon

Abstract

Objective: To compare the 10-year changes in the distribution of adiposity in rural and urban Cameroonian populations. Methods and Procedures: Two cross-sectional surveys of populations in the same rural and urban areas of Cameroon, aged ≥24 years, were carried out in 1994 (1,762 subjects) and 2003 (1,398 subjects) using similar methodology. All eligible subjects answered a structured questionnaire on their educational level, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking and weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were measured. Results: Between 1994 and 2003, the age-standardized prevalence of BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 increased significantly only in the rural area (+54% for women and +82% for men), while the age-standardized prevalence of central obesity (WC ≥80 cm (women), ≥94 cm (men)) increased significantly only in the urban population (+32% for women and +190% for men). These differences persisted after adjustments for age group, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and level of education, and within almost all the strata of the studied risk factors. Discussion: Changes in adiposity over time in Cameroon were characterized by an increase of BMI in the rural area and of WC in the urban area. There is a worldwide obesity epidemic with the prevalence of overweight and obesity exceeding 50% in almost all the regions of the world (1). Over the past three decades, this epidemic has affected the industrialized countries with some areas of North America, Europe, and Asia having more than threefold increase in the prevalence of obesity (2-8). However, this rise is not limited to high-income countries; low-and medium-income countries have also recently joined the obesity epidemic, and the increase has been even faster in these countries (2,7,8).Few studies have been published on the trend of obesity in Africa (7,9). We report the 10-year changes in overweight, obesity, and central obesity in a rural and urban Cameroonian population. ReseaRch Methods and PRoceduResTwo cross-sectional surveys were carried out in 1994 and 2003 in Cameroon, in the same settings, using similar methodology (10,11). The study sites were three villages of the Evodoula (rural) and the Cité Verte (urban) health areas. All inhabitants, aged between 24 and 74 years and who had been residents at the sites for at least 1 year before the surveys were invited to participate. The response rates in 1994 were 95 and 91% in the rural and urban sites, respectively, and 92 and 87% in 2003. In 1994, 1,762 had complete data for these analyses, and in 2003 there were 1,398.All participants were interviewed on their educational level, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking using structured questionnaires. Weight was measured using Seca scales, height with calibrated adult Leicester stadiometers, and waist circumference (WC) mid-way between the lower rib and the iliac crests, with a constant tension tape. The BMI was calculated. STATA 8.2 was used for statistical analyses and statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results are presented as percentages (95% confide...

Overweight and obesity prevalence among Indian women by place of residence and socio-economic status: Contrasting patterns from ‘underweight states’ and ‘overweight states’ of India

“…The Vietnamese experience suggests that post 1990s, overweight and obese population constantly increased in urban areas, but off late the problem has also started mounting in rural areas (Nguyen et al, 2006;Do et al, 2011). A study conducted in Cameroon during 1994e2003 suggests that overweight and obesity loomed large in urban areas and demonstrated no change during the study period; whereas overweight started rising at very fast in rural areas (Fezeu et al, 2008). An analysis based on eight Indian cities show that nutritional status among women is not significantly associated with lowly developed slum areas or with developed non-slum areas (Gaur et al, 2013).…”

A cross sectional analysis of eating habits and weight status of university students in urban Cameroon

“…A WHO report of 2014 indicates that the noncommunicable diseases mentioned above accounted for approximately 31% of total deaths in Cameroon [12]. With respect to the above diseases, earlier reports in Cameroon also indicated that between 1994 and 2003, the age adjusted prevalence of overweight including obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 ) increased significantly by 54% and 82% for men and women respectively [13,14]. Over the same period, there was a 12.1% and 15.2% increase in age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among women and men respectively [15], and a 10 fold increase in prevalence of diabetes among adults [16,17].…”

Facteurs De Risques Sociodemographiques Du Syndrome Metabolique Dans Une Population De Yaounde-Cameroun.

“…Sa population est essentiellement cosmopolite, aux us et coutumes très diversifiées notamment en ce qui concerne les habitudes alimentaires. Le processus de transition nutritionnelle y est déjà amorcée (12 Estimation des Paramètres Biochimiques:-Les échantillons de sang sont prélevés à jeun, par ponction veineuse sur héparine. Le plasma obtenu par centrifugation à 3500 tr/mn pendant 10 minutes a servi à l'estimation de la concentration plasmatique du cholestérol total, des triglycérides, du cholestérol HDL, du LDL cholestérol.…”