OBJECTIVES: Hitherto regarded as a public health issue of well-heeled nations, overweight and obesity have emerged as a problem of concern in developing nations. Although social and demographic factors are equally important as proximal lifestyle factors affecting health, their role is neither well researched nor well understood. We conducted a novel study to determine the distribution, prevalence, and social and demographic determinants of overweight/obesity in Malawi.METHODS: A population-based, quantitative cross-sectional study using data from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015-2016) was conducted among non-pregnant women aged 18-49 years. A total of 6,443 women were included in the analysis. Overweight/obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25.0 kg/m2 , was the main outcome variable. The analysis was done in SPSS version 20.0; after calculating descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate associations and determine odds.RESULTS: In total, 16.8% and 6.3% of women were overweight and obese, respectively (p<0.001). Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in urban than in rural areas. The BMI distribution among women varied across different background characteristics. Women from the Ngoni ethnicity were more likely to be overweight/obese than others (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 2.08). Socioeconomic status (SES) and the age of the respondent were highly significant determinants that were strongly associated with being overweight/obese. The richest women were 3 times more likely to be overweight/obese than the poorest (aOR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.46 to 4.43).CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent and significantly associated with increasing SES, age, and being from the Ngoni ethnicity. Holistic interventions should also focus on improving social determinants in order to entirely curb the epidemic.

No abstract

Objective: To describe the demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and clinical outcomes of hospitalised pregnant and recently pregnant women with COVID-19 in Malawi, a low-income country in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study responds to a critical gap in the global COVID-19 data. Methods: A national surveillance platform was established in Malawi by the Ministry of Health to record the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant and recently pregnant women and provide real-time data for decision making. We report this facility-based cohort that includes all pregnant and recently pregnant hospitalised women in Malawi suspected of having COVID-19 between 2nd June 2020 and 1st December 2021. Results: 398 women were admitted to hospital with suspected COVID-19 based on presenting symptoms and were tested; 246 (62%) were confirmed to have COVID-19. In women with COVID-19, the mean age was 27,SD(7) years. The most common presenting symptoms were cough (74%), breathlessness (45%), Fever (42%), headache (17%), and joint pain (10%). 53% of the women had COVID-19 symptoms severe enough to warrant admission. 31% (76/246) of women admitted with COVID-19 suffered a severe maternal outcome, 47/246 (19%) died, and 29/246 (12%) had a near-miss event. 9/111 (8%) of recorded births were stillbirths, and 12/101 (12%) of the live births resulted in early neonatal death. Conclusion: A national electronic platform providing real-time information on the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant and recently pregnant women with COVID-19 admitted to Malawian government hospitals. These women had much higher rates of adverse outcomes than those suggested in the current global data. These findings may reflect the differences in the severity of disease required for women to present and be admitted to Malawian hospitals, limited access to intensive care and the pandemic's disruption to the health system.

No abstract