Prevalence and risk factors associated with nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean region

A review of adult obesity prevalence, trends, risk factors, and epidemiologic methods in Kuwait

OBJECTIVE

Kuwait is among the countries with the highest obesity rates worldwide; however, little is known about the state of obesity epidemiology research in Kuwait. In this paper, we therefore review the findings and methodology of studies on the prevalence, trends and risk factors of obesity in Kuwait.

METHODS

The PubMed database was searched using the keyword combination: obesity and adults and Kuwait. Out of 111 articles, 39 remained after abstract review, and 18 were selected after full-text review.

RESULTS

The studies were all cross-sectional and published in the last fifteen years (1997-2012). The sample size ranged from 177 to 38,611 individuals. Only 30% of studies used random sampling. The prevalence (BMI ≥ 30) in studies with a nationally representative sample ranged from 24% to 48% overall and in adults >50 years was greater than 52%. Rates were significantly higher in women than those in men. Studies that examined trends showed an increase in obesity prevalence between 1980 and 2009. Multiple risk factors including sociocultural factors were investigated in the studies; however, factors were only crudely assessed.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for future studies, particularly surveillance surveys and prospective cohort studies utilizing advanced methods, to monitor trends and to comprehensively assess the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic in Kuwait.

Prevalence and risk factors of obesity and hypertension among students at a central university in the West Bank

Objectives

We aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of obesity and hypertension (HTN) among students at a central university in the West Bank.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study targeted a cohort of 553 students (59.5% males, 40.5% females) aged 17–26 years (median = 21) from Al-Quds University. Body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Participants completed a questionnaire on physical activity, sedentary behavior, dietary factors, smoking and family history of obesity, HTN, and coronary artery disease. The magnitude of correlation was assessed by Spearman's rho (r_s) and Chi-square tests.

Results

The prevalence of overweight was 25% (31.1% males, 15.6% females) and obesity 7.2% (9.4% males, 4% females). Obesity and overweight were associated with family history of obesity in both genders (p<0.001) and physical activity in males (r_s= − 0.162, p<0.005). No correlation was demonstrated between participants’ BMI and sedentary lifestyle or consumption of fast food. Pre-HTN was detected in 27.1% (38% males, 11.2% females) and HTN in 2.2% (3.3% males, 0.4% females). Pre-HTN and HTN were associated with obesity (r_s=0.252, p<0.001) and smoking (p<0.05). No relationship was detected between students’ BP and sedentary behavior, family history of HTN/CAD, or consumption of fast food. The prevalence of increased BMI and BP among males was significantly higher than females (p<0.001).

Conclusions

We detected a high prevalence of elevated BP and excess weight gain among students at Al-Quds University. An interventional program is urgently needed to control these cardiovascular risk factors in this community.