Trends in Prevalence and Related Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among Women of Reproductive Age in Zimbabwe, 2005–2015

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of non-communicable diseases is rising in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Zimbabwe, yet, the risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among women in the country have not been explored. This study investigated the trends in prevalence and demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors of overweight and obesity among Zimbabwean women of reproductive age (15–49 years) from 2005–2015. Methods: Data from the 2005/2006, 2010/2011 and 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral risk factors and obesity and overweight (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25.0 kg/m2). We further estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity over the period covered by the surveys. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased substantially from 25.0% in 2005 to 36.6% in 2015. Some of the risk factors for overweight and obesity were older age (40+) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.73–6.01) in 2015, being married, high economic status, being employed, residence in urban areas and alcohol use. Educational attainment and smoking status were not associated with overweight and obesity across all surveys. Conclusions: We provide the first detailed analysis of trends and risk factors for overweight and obesity between 2005 and 2015 among women in Zimbabwe. The findings indicate that women of reproductive age are at high, and increasing, risk of excess weight. Thus, prevention and control measures are needed to address the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Zimbabwe.

Investigating the associations between intimate partner violence and nutritional status of women in Zimbabwe

“…In Sub Saharan Africa, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has been rising at an alarming rate [31], and women are the most affected [31]. Globally, overweight and obesity among female adults have increased from 29.8-38.0% between 1980 and 2013 respectively [32], with a recent study conducted in Zimbabwe [33] con rming these ndings for the time period 2005 to 2015. Differences in experiencing obesity and overweight among socioeconomic subgroups [34] may be linked to IPV in complex ways.…”

“…The analysis was limited to non-pregnant women of reproductive age with valid weight and height measurements. Pregnant women were excluded to avoid a misleading picture of the issue of overweight and obesity during pregnancy [33].…”

“…This is the rst study to explore the association between Zimbabwean women's exposure to IPV and nutritional status using ZDHS data collected from 2005-2015. Although prior studies in Zimbabwe have examined trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity [33] as well as associations between demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status and IPV against women [1], no study has investigated the complex relationship between IPV and nutritional status (i.e., underweight, overweight, and obesity) of women in the country. Moreover, the prevalence of both IPV and overweight is high in Zimbabwe [1,33,54,55], which makes the country an appropriate setting for this study.…”

Investigating the Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Nutritional Status of Women in Zimbabwe

“…The analysis was limited to non-pregnant women of reproductive age with valid weight and height measurements. Pregnant women were excluded to avoid a misleading picture of the issue of overweight and obesity during pregnancy [33]. The samples after the exclusion were (survey year: 2005/2006; n = 4,031), (survey year: 2010/2011; n = 4,211) and (survey year: 2015; n = 4,766), with a pooled total (N = 13,008) for the nal analysis.…”

“…Discussion This is the rst study to explore the association between Zimbabwean women's exposure to IPV and nutritional status using ZDHS data collected from 2005-2015. Although prior studies in Zimbabwe have examined trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity [33] as well as associations between demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status and IPV against women [1], no study has investigated the complex relationship between IPV and nutritional status (i.e., underweight, overweight, and obesity) of women in the country. Moreover, the prevalence of both IPV and overweight is high in…”