The Relationship Between Obesity, Overweight, and the Human Development Index in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries

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Abstract

Objectives

Obesity is regarded as one of the most prominent health threats worldwide and a serious risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Given the role that societal development—as reflected by the Human Development Index (HDI)—may play in the prevalence of obesity and overweight, this study aimed to investigate the degree to which the prevalence of obesity and overweight is affected by HDI and its components.

Methods

In this ecological study, the required data on HDI and its components were gathered from the latest report of the United Nations Development Program, and data on obesity and overweight were acquired from the latest reports published on the World Health Organization website. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24.0.

Results

The prevalence of obesity was determined to be significantly higher among females than males, and the gross national index per capita was found to be significantly higher for males than females ( p<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between HDI and its components and sex, as well as indices of obesity and overweight.

Conclusions

A significant positive correlation exists between HDI and obesity. As policy-makers attempt to improve the general welfare of the people, they should be aware of potential unwanted effects of development on the risk of obesity and overweight among the population.

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Most cited references 16

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Overweight and Obesity in Eastern Mediterranean Region: Prevalence and Possible Causes

Abdulrahman Musaiger (2011)

The objective of this paper was to explore the prevalence of overweight and obesity among various age groups as well as discuss the possible factors that associated with obesity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). A systematic review of published papers between 1990 and 2011 was carried out. Obesity reached an alarming level in all age groups of the EMR countries. The prevalence of overweight among preschool children(<5 years) ranged from 1.9% to 21.9%, while the prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children ranged from 7% to 45%. Among adults the prevalence of overweight and obesity ranged from 25% to 81.9%. Possible factors determining obesity in this region include: nutrition transition, inactivity, urbanization, marital status, a shorter duration of breastfeeding, frequent snacking, skipping breakfast, a high intake of sugary beverages, an increase in the incidence of eating outside the home, long periods of time spent viewing television, massive marketing promotion of high fat foods, stunting, perceived body image, cultural elements and food subsidize policy. A national plan of action to overcome obesity is urgently needed to reduce the economic and health burden of obesity in this region.

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Obesity in women from developing countries.

Charmayne M L Hughes, Mohammed Khan, R Martorell … (2000)

The key objective was to estimate obesity (>/=30 kg/m2) in women 15-49 y from developing countries. A second objective was to study how obesity varies by educational level and by residence in urban and rural areas. A third objective was to investigate how national incomes shape the relationship between obesity and eduction or residence. The analyses use cross-sectional data from nationally representative surveys from developing countries carried out in the last decade. Most of the surveys were Demographic Health Surveys (DHS). Data from a survey from the USA are used for comparison. The 39 surveys used come from 38 developing countries and the USA. A total of 147,938 non-pregnant women 15-49 y were included in the analyses. The percentage of obese women was 0.1% in South Asia, 2.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 9. 6% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 15.4% in Central Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS), 17.2% in the Middle East and North Africa, and 20.7% in the USA. Levels of obesity in countries increased sharply until a gross national product of US$1500 per capita (1992 values) was reached and changed little thereafter. In very poor countries, such as in Sub-Saharan Africa, obesity levels were greatly concentrated among urban and higher educated women. In more developed countries, such as those in Latin America and the CEE/CIS regions, obesity levels were more equally distributed in the general population. Based on the analyses presented and on a review of the literature, it is concluded that obesity among women is a serious problem in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and the CEE/CIS region. Obesity is less of a concern in Sub-Saharan Africa, China and South Asia. Obesity levels increased over time in most of the limited number of countries with data, but at varying rates. Rising national incomes in developing countries and increased 'Westernization' will most likely lead to increased levels of obesity in the future. Financial support was provided by the Food and Nutrition Program of the Pan American Health Organization and by the World Bank.

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The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Bangladeshi adults: Data from a national survey

Tuhin Biswas, Sarah Garnett, Sonia Pervin … (2017)

Background Over the two last decades Bangladesh, a low-income country, has experienced a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition. The population has increased substantially with rapid urbanization and changing pattern of disease, which at least in part, can be explained by nutritional changes. However, the nutritional status of the adult population has not been previously described. Hence, the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and explore socio-demographic determinants of underweight, overweight and obesity among the Bangladeshi adult population. Methods This study is a secondary data analysis of the national 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. We determined the nutritional status of adults aged ≥35 years of age, who had a measured weight and height, using the Asian body mass index (BMI) cut-offs for underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 23 to <27.5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2). Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the association between socio-demographic factors and nutritional status. Result Of total sample (n = 5495), 30.4% were underweight, 18.9% were overweight and 4.6% were obese. Underweight was associated with age, education and wealth. The adjusted odd ratios for underweight were higher for older people (≥70 years) compared to younger, the least educated compared to the most educated and the poorest compared to the wealthiest were 2.51 (95%CI: 1.95–3.23, p<0.001), 3.59 (95%CI: 2.30–5.61, p<0.001) and 3.70 (95%CI: 2.76–4.96, p<0.001), respectively. Younger age (35–44 years), being female, higher education, wealthier and living in urban areas were associated with overweight/obesity with adjusted odds ratios of 1.73 (95%CI: 1.24–2.41, p<0.001), 2.48 (95%CI: 1.87–3.28, p<0.001), 3.98 (95%CI: 2.96–5.33, p<0.001), 7.14 (95%CI: 5.20–9.81, p<0.001) 1.27 (95%CI: 1.05–1.55, p-0.02), respectively. Conclusion Underweight and overweight/obesity are prevalent in Bangladeshi adults. Both conditions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and increase the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. Effective public health intervention approaches are necessary to address both these conditions.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Prev Med Public Health

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Prev Med Public Health

Journal ID (publisher-id): JPMPH

Title: Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

Publisher: Korean Society for Preventive Medicine

ISSN (Print): 1975-8375

ISSN (Electronic): 2233-4521

Publication date (Print): March 2020

Publication date (Electronic): 31 March 2020

Volume: 53

Issue: 2

Pages: 98-105

Affiliations

[1 ]Meshkin Shahr Health Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

[2 ]Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

[3 ]Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran

Author notes

Corresponding author: Eslam Moradi-Asl, PhD Department of Public Health, School of Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Daneshgah Street, Ardabil 5618953141, Iran E-mail: E.moradiasl@ 123456arums.ac.ir

Author information

Amin Ataey http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0842-250X

Elnaz Jafarvand http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0668-5859

Davoud Adham http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9764-6363

Eslam Moradi-Asl http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3999-6039

Article

Publisher ID: jpmph-53-2-98

DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.19.100

PMC ID: 7142010

PubMed ID: 32268464

SO-VID: 7787632c-3884-4a3b-b5e8-17fca55bc2c8

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Relationship Between Obesity, Overweight, and the Human Development Index in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries

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Abstract

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Karger: Nutrition and Dietetics

Most cited references 16

Overweight and Obesity in Eastern Mediterranean Region: Prevalence and Possible Causes

Obesity in women from developing countries.

The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Bangladeshi adults: Data from a national survey

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