Assessment of overweight, obesity and malnutrition status of <em>Purana</em> (old) population residing in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Objective: The "Purana" population in Sri Lanka, a genetically distinct group with origins in the Sinhalese Kings of the 5th century A.D, lives near the Sigiriya Bolder Garden complex. Limited evidence exists on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among this population. This investigation aims to study the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult "Purana" individuals. Methods: Purana villagers in Talkote, Pidurangala, Diyakepilla, and Nagalaweva, near the Sigiriya Bolder Garden complex were selected for the study and 107 men and 199 women were recruited to the study based on ancestry, with Purana pedigrees traced back at least three generations. Informed consent was obtained from participants. A single observer recorded height, weight, and mid-waist circumference measurements of selected individuals. Each measurement was repeated three times and the mean values were taken. BMI values were calculated and obesity, overweight, malnutrition of each individual was determined by using calculated BMI and waist circumference based on global and South Asian cutoff values. Results: 33.6%, 55.1%, 9.3% and 1.9% of the male adult population was underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese respectively concerning global BMI cutoffs. 33.6%, 43%, 20.6% and 2.8% of male adult population was underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese respectively concerning Asian BMI cutoffs. 17.6%, 62.3%, 17.6% and 2.5% of female adult population was underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese respectively concerning global BMI cutoffs. 17.6%, 49.7%, 24.1% and 8.5% of female adult population was underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese respectively according to Asian BMI cutoffs. 28% of males were obese while 47.2% of females were obese with reference to waist measurements. Conclusions: In comparison to the urban populations in Sri Lanka, the male and female Purana inhabitants of Sigiriya showed a low prevalence of overweight and obesity.