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Prevalence and correlates of adult overweight in the M uslim world: analysis of 46 countries
Author(s) -
Kahan D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
clinical obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1758-8111
pISSN - 1758-8103
DOI - 10.1111/cob.12089
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , demography , body mass index , ethnic group , obesity , confidence interval , socioeconomic status , gerontology , environmental health , population , sociology , anthropology
Summary The primary objectives of the study were to calculate overweight prevalence (body mass index ≥ 25.0) and simple correlations between 10 demographic, social welfare and behavioural variables and overweight prevalence for Muslim countries (populations >50% M uslim; N = 46). Overweight data for a country's total, male and female populations were extracted from the W orld H ealth O rganization's ( WHO ) STEP wise country reports and relevant publications. Country‐level data for potential correlates were extracted from multiple sources: C entral I ntelligence A gency (literacy), G allup P oll (religiosity), U nited N ations (agricultural employment, food supply, gender inequality, human development), W orld B ank (automobile ownership, Internet, labour force) and WHO (physical inactivity). The overall, male and female overweight prevalence was 37.4, 33.0 and 42.1%, respectively. Prevalence estimates significantly differed by economic classification, gender and ethnicity. Middle‐ and upper income countries were 1.54–7.76 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.49–8.07) times more likely overweight than low‐income countries, females were 1.48 ( CI : 1.45–1.50) times more likely overweight than males and Arab countries were 2.92 ( CI : 2.86–2.97) times more likely overweight than non‐ A rab countries. All 10 of the potential correlates were significantly associated with overweight for at least one permutation (total, economic classification, gender, ethnicity). The greater percentage of poorer countries among non‐ A rab M uslim countries, which compared with A rab countries have not as rapidly been transformed by globalization, nutrition transition and urbanization, may partially explain prevalence differences. Evaluation of correlational data generally followed associations seen in non‐ M uslim countries but more complex analysis of subnational data is needed. A rab women are a particularly vulnerable subgroup and governments should act within religious and cultural parameters to provide environments that are conducive to negative energy balance.