Obesity, overweight and underweight among adults in an urban community in Yemen
Abstract
High body mass index [BMI] is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality, while low BMI is an indicator of undernutrition; both may be concerns in low-income countries. This cross-sectional, primary-care based study aimed to measure the sex and age-specific mean BMI and estimate the prevalence of obesity, overweight and underweight among adults in an urban community in Sana'a, Yemen. A total of 2500 subjects [919 males and 1581 females] were recruited in 2006. The crude mean BMI for all ages was significantly higher in females [23.9 [SD 5.1] kg/m2] than males [21.8 [SD 8.9] kg/m2]. The mean BMI trend was associated with age, with a peak in the age group 35-44 years. Calculated prevalence showed 18.0% of males and 14.6% of females were overweight (BMI >/=25 kg/m2] and 2.5% of males and 12.4% of females were obese [BMI >/=0 kg/m2]. In contrast a substantial number of subjects were underweight [BMI < 18.5 kg/m2]: 20.1% of males and 14.6% of femalesCitation
Gunaid, A.A. (2012). Obesity, overweight and underweight among adults in an urban community in Yemen. EMHJ - Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 18 (12), 1187-1193, 2012 https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/118468