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Background: Although it used to be regarded as a problem of industrialized countries, overweight/obesity is becoming an emerging public health concern in developing countries in recent years often coexisting with under-nutrition. Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey of 2011 reported 15% prevalence of overweight/obesity among urban Ethiopian women. No other study has been conducted on the matter which left a huge gap in information regarding the magnitude in specific areas and factors associated. Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of overweight/obesity among women in Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2014 in Hawassa City. - Systematic random sampling technique was employed to select households from the 7 urban sub-cities. A sample of 552 women of the age 15-49 was picked from the selected households. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaires. Weight and height measurements were also taken. Data entry, cleaning and analysis were performed using SPSS version 16. Statistical significance was considered at 5%. Prevalence was determined using descriptive statistics whereas the strengths of association of factors with odds of being overweight/obese were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results: . One hundred eighty three (34.07%) were either overweight or obese out of which 141(26.25%) were overweight and 42 (7.82%) were obese. The mean BMI of participants was 23.99 kg/m2 with standard deviation of 3.72 and the mean age of study participants was 30.33 with a standard deviation of 7 .03. Household food expense, frequency of consumption of meat containing meals, riding motor bicycles and company provided transportation services to go to work and having given birth were found to be statistically associated with the odds of being overweight/obese. Deliberate physical exercise was found to be negatively significantly associated with odds of being overweight/obese. Conclusion: Overweight/obesity prevails at a much higher level among women in Hawassa than Ethiopian women residing in other urban settings. Women living in households with higher food expenditure, those who use automated transportation and those who usually eat meat were more likely to be overweight/obese. Giving birth was also found to increase the likelihood of becoming overweight/obese. On the other hand, deliberate physical exercise is practiced by women who are already overweight/obese.
Recommendation: The high prevalence of overweight/obesity among women of Hawassa points to a need for urgent intervention. Health planners in the region and the city administration should put in place a system that promotes healthy diets, which includes regulation f consumption of animal fats and that encourages a lifestyle involving increased physical exercise. Further, research should be carried out to better establish the determinants of overweight/obesity with particular focus on knowledge, attitude and practices regarding nutrition and physical exercise. |
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