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Risk factors for overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Mosha, Dominic ; Paulo, Heavenlight A. ; Mwanyika-Sando, Mary ; Mboya, Innocent B. LU orcid ; Madzorera, Isabel ; Leyna, Germana H. ; Msuya, Sia E. ; Bärnighausen, Till W. ; Killewo, Japhet and Fawzi, Wafaie W. (2021) In BMC Nutrition 7. p.1-10
Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity have increased considerably in low- and middle-income countries over the past few decades, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study assessed the role of physical activity, nutrient intake and risk factors for overweight and obesity among women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1004 women aged 15–49 years in the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study (DUCS) from September 2018 to January 2019. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) using metabolic equivalent tasks (MET). Modified poison regression models were used to evaluate... (More)

Background: Overweight and obesity have increased considerably in low- and middle-income countries over the past few decades, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study assessed the role of physical activity, nutrient intake and risk factors for overweight and obesity among women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1004 women aged 15–49 years in the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study (DUCS) from September 2018 to January 2019. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) using metabolic equivalent tasks (MET). Modified poison regression models were used to evaluate associations between physical activity and nutrient intake with overweight/obesity in women, controlling for energy and other factors. Results: The mean (±SD) age of study women was 30.2 (±8.1) years. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was high (50.4%), and underweight was 8.6%. The risk of overweight/obesity was higher among older women (35–49 vs 15–24 years: PR 1.59; 95% CI: 1.30–1.95); women of higher wealth status (PR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.07–1.43); and informally employed and married women. Attaining moderate to high physical activity (≥600 MET) was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (PR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63–0.99). Dietary sugar intake (PR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03–1.58) was associated with increased risk, and fish and poultry consumption (PR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61–0.99) with lower risk of overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Lifestyle (low physical activity and high sugar intake), age, wealth status, informal employment and marital status were associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity, while consumption of fish and poultry protein was associated with lower risk. The study findings underscore the need to design feasible and high-impact interventions to address physical activity and healthy diets among women in Tanzania.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Nutrients, Obesity, Overweight, Physical activity, Tanzania, Women
in
BMC Nutrition
volume
7
article number
37
pages
1 - 10
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85110054063
  • pmid:34266482
ISSN
2055-0928
DOI
10.1186/s40795-021-00445-z
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).
id
4091ee91-9e54-44de-a27a-95f0a9d50253
date added to LUP
2022-09-29 10:04:30
date last changed
2024-06-13 19:45:22
@article{4091ee91-9e54-44de-a27a-95f0a9d50253,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Overweight and obesity have increased considerably in low- and middle-income countries over the past few decades, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study assessed the role of physical activity, nutrient intake and risk factors for overweight and obesity among women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1004 women aged 15–49 years in the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study (DUCS) from September 2018 to January 2019. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) using metabolic equivalent tasks (MET). Modified poison regression models were used to evaluate associations between physical activity and nutrient intake with overweight/obesity in women, controlling for energy and other factors. Results: The mean (±SD) age of study women was 30.2 (±8.1) years. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was high (50.4%), and underweight was 8.6%. The risk of overweight/obesity was higher among older women (35–49 vs 15–24 years: PR 1.59; 95% CI: 1.30–1.95); women of higher wealth status (PR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.07–1.43); and informally employed and married women. Attaining moderate to high physical activity (≥600 MET) was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (PR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63–0.99). Dietary sugar intake (PR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03–1.58) was associated with increased risk, and fish and poultry consumption (PR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61–0.99) with lower risk of overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Lifestyle (low physical activity and high sugar intake), age, wealth status, informal employment and marital status were associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity, while consumption of fish and poultry protein was associated with lower risk. The study findings underscore the need to design feasible and high-impact interventions to address physical activity and healthy diets among women in Tanzania.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mosha, Dominic and Paulo, Heavenlight A. and Mwanyika-Sando, Mary and Mboya, Innocent B. and Madzorera, Isabel and Leyna, Germana H. and Msuya, Sia E. and Bärnighausen, Till W. and Killewo, Japhet and Fawzi, Wafaie W.}},
  issn         = {{2055-0928}},
  keywords     = {{Nutrients; Obesity; Overweight; Physical activity; Tanzania; Women}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--10}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Nutrition}},
  title        = {{Risk factors for overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40795-021-00445-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s40795-021-00445-z}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}