Prevalence of obesity, its relationship with socio-demographic characteristics and associated morbidity with respect to hypertension and glycosuria in an urban population of Tanzania

Abstract

This study served to determine the prevalence of obesity, morbidity Obesity, morbidity its determinants and its associated in an urban population of Tanzania. its determinants and accompanying in a randomly selected adult population aged 15 years and over were assessed through anthropometry, inter·view schedule and clinical examination . All together 725 subjects were interviewed, measured and examined. The prevalence of obesity was 26.5%. Important determinants of obesity among the population were income, sex and occupation. Hypertension was the most important morbidity among the obese with a prevalence of 31.2% as against 15% among those who were not obese. To a lesser extent, glycosuria was important in men aged 25 years and over. The findings confirmed the investigator's impression that obesity was indeed an existing nutritional problem among the urban population of Tanzania and that hypertension was more common among the obese. More studies to ge t a precise prevalence among urban populations, nutrition education with treatment for those already afflicted and school based public health programs as a long-term preventive focus were recommended.