Abstract:
The prevalence of obesity in developing countries is more noticeable in urban areas
with as much as 20-50% of the urban population of African countries estimated to be
either overweight or obese. Studies investigating the prevalence of overweight and
obesity in developing countries have mainly been concentrated in the capital and
major cities of these countries whilst neglecting other urban settlements. It is against
this background that a hospital-based cross-sectional design was employed to
determine the overweight and obesity prevalence in Cape Coast, an urban settlement
in the Central Region of Ghana, to identify the vulnerable groups and factors
associated with the disease within this urban population. Anthropometric methods and
structured questionnaire were used to determine the BMI status of 300 adults sampled
from the Out Patients Department of the main hospital in the area and establish the
predisposing factors of the disease in the area. Prevalence of overweight and obesity
within this population was relatively high with rates of 21% and 17%, respectively.
Several socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, and parity were found to be
associated with overweight and obesity in the area. Of the socio-demographic
parameters studied age, sex, occupation, marital status and ethnic origin of
respondents were highly associated with overweight and obesity (p<0.05). Obesity
prevalence increased with age with middle age adults (46-55 years) found to be most
vulnerable. Females were more likely to be overweight or obese than their male
counterparts (p<0.05). Snacking in-between meals, time of supper and lack of
exercise were the lifestyle characteristics found to be associated with overweight and
obesity in the area (p<0.05). The multivariate analysis, however, found the association
with snacking and exercise to be confounded by sex and age of respondents. Exercise
nevertheless remained a strong determinant of obesity in the area with respondents
who did not exercise found to be about four times more likely to be obese than their
counterparts who did exercise (OR = 4.174; CI = 1.886 – 9.234; p<0.05). A concerted
effort by health professionals is thus needed to reduce the overweight and obesity
burden and associated co-morbidities in this urban population.
