Prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity in selected health areas in a rural health district in Cameroon: a cross-sectional analysis

Hyperuricemia and associated factors: The case of outpatients at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital- Cameroon, an analytical cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

Hyperuricemia constitutes a major public health issue due to its implication in many chronic diseases and metabolic syndromes. We propose to study the prevalence and associated factors of hyperuricemia to diagnose asymptomatic patients and make prognoses on the state of health of the patients.

Methods

An analytic cross-sectional study has been carried out at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital and the Biochemistry laboratory of the Université des Montagnes over 2 months. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristic was obtained; a blood sample was collected from the chosen patients and a biochemical test (uric acid, creatinine, urea, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins cholesterol, triglyceride) was analyzed by spectrophotometric method. Statistical tests were carried out using SPSS statistical software. Logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with variables of interest. The significance was measured by a p < 0.05 with a confidential level of 95%.

Results

The patient population was made up of 100 patients. The sex ratio was 1.22 in favor of men. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in our study was 28.0% with 31.1% in women and 27.3% in men. The mean average of uric acid in the hyperuricemia population was 7.50 ± 1.24 mg/L and the normal uricemia population was 4.69 ± 1.49 mg/L (p < 0.0001). The mean average triglyceride in the hyperuricemia population was 143 ± 14 and 117.55 ± 55.52 mg/dL in normal uricemia with p = 0.046. Age range [35-45] and hypertriglyceridemia have been associated with hyperuricemia with respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 4.07, p < 0.015) confidence interval, CI: [0.89: 97.0]) and ([OR = 2.50, p < 0.046] CI: [1.01: 6.09]).

Conclusion

The prevalence of hyperuricemia was relatively high and has been associated with metabolic disorders in the population. It is necessary to focus on early diagnoses, treatment, and early intervention in view to prevent chronic diseases associated with hyperuricemia.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices regarding Obesity among Population of Urban (Douala) and Rural (Manjo) Areas in Cameroon

Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) studies have recently been suggested as a useful tool to understand the specificity of the population related to a disease. However, in Cameroon, there is a lack of information based on KAP studies regarding obesity. This study has been designed to collect basic indicators on the KAP of the populations regarding overweight and obesity in urban and rural areas in Cameroon (Douala and Manjo). For this purpose, an epidemiological community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in these two areas using a well-structured questionnaire. Sociodemographic and medical characteristics and KAP information were assessed. For the quantification of KAP, a score varying from 0 (poor knowledge, attitude, or practices) to 100 (good knowledge, attitude, or practices) was attributed for each question. Correlations between knowledge, attitude, and practice were determined using inferential statistics tests which were χ2 test, independent Student t-test, ANOVA (followed by Tukey's post hoc test), and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results reveal that living in a rural area (Manjo), being overweight or obese, having complete secondary education, and being married increase the knowledge and the practice score. There is a strong and positive correlation between knowledge and practice score. However, there is no association between attitude and practice and between attitude and knowledge. Reducing the disparities between knowledge, attitude, and practices constitutes a serious track in a holistic strategy for the management of obesity in these areas.

Shared correlates of maternal and childhood overweight in Cameroon: a cross-sectional analysis of demographic and health survey data

BACKGROUND

Overweight parents are likelier to bear overweight babies, who are likelier to grow into overweight adults. Understanding the shared risks of being overweight between the mother-child dyad is essential for targeted life course interventions. In this study, we aimed to identify such risk factors in Cameroon.

METHODS

We conducted secondary data analysis using Cameroon's 2018 Demographic and Health Surveys. We used weighted multilevel binary logistic regressions to examine individual, household, and community correlates of maternal (15-49 years) and child (under five years) overweight.

RESULTS

We retained 4511 complete records for childhood and 4644 for maternal analysis. We found that 37% [95%CI:36-38%] of mothers and 12% [95%CI:11-13%] of children were overweight or obese. Many environmental and sociodemographic factors were positively associated with maternal overweight, namely urban residence, wealthier households, higher education, parity and being a Christian. Childhood overweight was positively associated with a child being older and a mother being overweight, a worker, or a Christian. Therefore, only religion affected both mothers overweight (aOR: 0.71[95%CI:0.56-0.91]) and childhood overweight (aOR 0.67[95%CI: 0.5-0.91]). Most of the potentially shared factors only indirectly affected childhood overweight through maternal overweight.

CONCLUSION

Besides religion, which affects both mothers and childhood overweight (with the Muslim faith being protective), much of childhood overweight is not directly explained by many of the observed determinants of maternal overweight. These determinants are likely to influence childhood overweight indirectly through maternal overweight. Extending this analysis to include unobserved correlates such as physical activity, dietary, and genetic characteristics would produce a more comprehensive picture of shared mother-child overweight correlates.

Examining the risk factors for overweight and obesity among women in Ghana: A multilevel perspective

Overweight/obesity prevalence is on the increase in epidemic proportions across Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs). The public health burden associated with obesity/overweight cannot be underestimated due to its association with chronic health outcomes. This study investigated the individual- and community level risk factors for obesity/overweight among reproductive women. The data used consist of 4393 reproductive women and form part of the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Information on these women are clustered within 427 communities. A 2-tier random intercept multilevel logistic model was used to assess the effect of individual- and community level factors on the likelihood of a woman to be obese/overweight. The obesity/overweight prevalence among reproductive women was estimated to be 35.5% (95% CI: 34.04, 36.90%), which significantly differed across clusters. Most at risk were women from middle-income households (aOR = 2.85; 95% CI: 2.28, 3.56), upper-income households (aOR = 5.019, 95% CI: 3.85, 6.55), attaining secondary education (aOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.41, 2.16), and higher (aOR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.33), old age (20-29 years (aOR = 4.26; 95% CI: 3.142,5.78); 30-39 years (aOR = 8.59; 95% CI: 6.15, 12.00); 40-49 years (aOR = 12.81; 95% CI: 9.10, 18.16)). Significant differences in the probability of being overweight/obese between different communities were observed (MOR = 1.39). The high prevalence of overweight/obesity requires urgent public health interventions to prevent future public health crises. Efforts to strengthen the healthcare system, encourage lifestyle modification, and public health education are needed to solidify the gains of ensuring a healthy population by 2030 (SDG 3).

Effect of a Multispecies Synbiotic Supplementation on Body Composition, Antioxidant Status, and Gut Microbiomes in Overweight and Obese Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Studies investigating the effect of multispecies synbiotic supplementation in obesity management are limited. The current study was performed to evaluate the effects of multispecies probiotics mixed with fructooligosaccharides on body composition, antioxidant status, and gut microbiome composition in overweight and obese individuals. We employed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial design, in which 63 individuals aged 18-45 years were assigned to receive either a synbiotic supplement or placebo for 12 weeks. The synbiotic group consumed a daily dose of 37 × 10⁹ colony-forming units (CFU) of a unique blend of seven different probiotics, along with 2 g of fructooligosaccharides, while the placebo group consumed 2 g of maltodextrin daily. Assessments were performed at baseline, week 6, and the end of the study. The results of the study indicated that synbiotic supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in waist circumference and body fat percentage compared to the baseline measurements, as observed at 12 weeks. At the end of the study, there were no significant differences observed in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, or percentage of body fat between the synbiotic group and the placebo group. An analysis of plasma antioxidant capacity revealed that synbiotic supplementation caused a significant increase in Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and a concomitant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) in the test group when compared to the placebo. For the gut microbiota analysis, synbiotic supplementation significantly decreased Firmicutes abundance and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio at week 12 as compared to the placebo group. Nevertheless, the synbiotic group did not exhibit any substantial alterations in other biochemical blood parameters compared to the placebo group. These findings suggest that multispecies synbiotic supplementation could be a beneficial strategy to improve body composition, antioxidant status, and gut microbiome composition in overweight and obese subjects.

Overweight and obesity in south central Uganda: A population-based study

Obesity is a rapidly growing global health challenge, but there are few population-level studies from non-urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m2), obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2), and associated factors using data from May 2018 to November 2020 from the Rakai Community Cohort Study, a population-based cohort of residents aged 15 to 49 living in forty-one fishing, trading, and agrarian communities in South Central Uganda. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence risk ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in 18,079 participants. The overall mean BMI was 22.9 kg/m2. Mean BMI was 21.5 kg/m2 and 24.1 kg/m2 for males and females, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 22.8% and 6.2%, respectively. Females had a higher probability of overweight/obesity (PRR: 4.11, CI: 2.98-5.68) than males. For female participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, residing in a trading or fishing community (PRR: 1.25, CI 1.16-1.35 and PRR: 1.17, CI 1.10-1.25, respectively), being currently or previously married (PRR: 1.22, CI 1.07-1.40 and PRR: 1.16, CI 1.01-1.34, respectively), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 1.29, CI 1.17-1.45), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.38, CI 1.29-1.48), and reporting alcohol use in the last year (PRR: 1.21, CI 1.10-1.33) were risk factors for overweight/obese. For male participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, being currently married (PRR: 1.94, CI 1.50-2.50), residing in a fishing community (PRR: 1.68, CI 1.40-2.02), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 2.20, CI 1.10-4.40), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.75, CI 1.45-2.11), or fishing (PRR: 1.32, CI 1.03-1.69) increased the probability of overweight/obesity. Non-Muslim participants, male smokers, and HIV-positive females had a lower probability of overweight/obese. The prevalence of overweight/obesity in non-urban Ugandans is substantial. Targeted interventions to high-risk subgroups in this population are needed.

Epidemiological characteristics of different patterns of obesity among adults in rural communities of south-east Nigeria: a population-based cross-sectional study

Background

Obesity is a complex disease characterised by excess fat accumulation and health risks. There is paucity of data on epidemiology of obesity patterns among adults in rural Nigeria. This study aimed to provide current data on the prevalence and predictors of three patterns of obesity (abdominal obesity alone, general obesity alone and a combination of both) among adults in three rural communities of Enugu State, South-east Nigeria to enhance specific obesity prevention and control programmes/interventions.

Methods

This population-based cross-sectional study involved 500 adults selected through a six-stage random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-economic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics of the respondents. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured by standard procedures. Body mass index was used to assess general obesity while abdominal obesity was assessed through waist circumference. Each respondent was classified under only one of the three patterns: general obesity alone, abdominal obesity alone and combined obesity. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the predictors. Significance was set P<0.05.

Results

Prevalence of abdominal obesity alone was 6.0%. General obesity alone was found among 31.4% and 45.6% were affected by combined obesity. Being a female (AOR:0.35, 95% C.I.: 0.14, 0.88) and not skipping meals (AOR:0.24, 95% C.I.: 0.10, 0.55) were associated with less likelihood of abdominal obesity but ≥3 times daily meal intake increased the risk by 2.52 (AOR:2.52, 95% C.I.:1.10, 5.75). Predictors of general obesity alone were age 41-60 years (AOR:1.84, 95% C.I.:1.14, 2.97), being a female (AOR:7.65, 95% C.I.:4.77, 12.26) and having any form of formal education (AOR:2.55, 95% C.I.:1.10, 5.91). Combined obesity was less likely among 41-60 year-olds (AOR:0.36, 95% C.I.:0.23, 0.56) and females (AOR:0.21, 95% C.I.:0.13, 0.32). Never married (AOR:1.94, 95% C.I.:1.03, 3.67) and vigorous physical activities (AOR:1.81, 95% C.I.:1.08, 3.02) increased the risk of combined obesity by almost 2.

Conclusions

Prevalence of abdominal obesity alone, general obesity alone and combined obesity were high. They were functions of age, sex, never married, having any form of formal education, skipping meals, ≥3 daily meal intake and self-reported vigorous physical activity. Focused nutrition and health education are recommended strategies for prevention and control of obesity.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst patients with diabetes and their non-diabetic family members in Senwabarwana, Limpopo province, South Africa

Background

Diabetes remains a public health concern and the second cause of mortality in South Africa. Family history of diabetes increases risk of developing diabetes. Obesity amongst patients is associated with comorbidity, whilst amongst non-diabetic family members it is associated with developing diabetes. This study aimed at determining prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst patients with diabetes and non-diabetic family members.

Methods

A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 200 patients and 200 non-diabetic family members were selected using systematic random sampling from rural clinics of Senwabarwana. Data were collected using close-ended questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured and interpreted according to World Health Organization guidelines. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi-square test was used to calculate associations at 95% confidence interval where a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Most patients (75.5%) had comorbidities and hypertension was most prevalent (89.0%). Over half of the patients (57.0%) and 38.0% of family members were obese. Most patients (75.0%) and 58.0% of family members had abdominal obesity.

Conclusion

Patients with diabetes suffer from comorbidities are overweight and obese whilst evidence from various studies suggest that non-diabetic family members are at added risk of developing diabetes because of higher BMI and abdominal obesity. There is an urgent need to create a conducive environment that discourages sedentary behaviours through lifestyle modifications using the family centred approach, and involve family members in the care of patients.