Trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity among South African and European adolescents: a comparative outlook

Abstract

Background South Africa has several national surveys with body weight-related data, but they are not conducted regularly. Hence, data on longitudinal trends and the recent prevalence of adolescent obesity are not readily available for both national and international reporting and use. This study collectively analysed nationally representative surveys over nearly 2 decades to investigate trends in prevalence of adolescent obesity in South Africa. Furthermore, it compared these data with similar continental report for 45 countries across Europe and North America including United Kingdom, Norway, Netherland, Sweden, Azerbaijan, etc. to identify at-risk sub-population for overweight and obesity among adolescents. Methods The study included primary data of adolescents (15 – 19 years) from South African national surveys (N = 27, 884; girls = 51.42%) conducted between 1998 and 2016. Adolescents’ data extracted include measured weight, height, sex, parent employment status, monthly allowance received, and family socioeconomic-related variables. Data were statistically analysed and visualized using chi-square of trends, Wald statistics, odds ratio and trend plots, and compared to findings from European survey report (N = 71, 942; girls = 51.23%). South African adolescents’ obesity and overweight data were categorized based on World Health Organization (WHO)’s growth chart and compared by sex to European cohort and by family socioeconomic status. Results By 2016, 21.56% of South African adolescents were either obese or overweight, similar to the 21% prevalence reported in 2018 among European adolescents. Girls in South Africa showed higher trends for obesity and overweight compared to boys, different from Europe where, higher trends were reported among boys. South African Adolescents from upper socioeconomic families showed greater trends in prevalence of overweight and obesity than adolescents from medium and lower socioeconomic families. Mothers’ employment status was significantly associated with adolescents' overweight and obesity. Conclusions Our study shows that by 2016, the prevalence of adolescent obesity was high in South Africa – more than 1 in 5 adolescents – which is nearly similar to that in Europe, yet South African girls may be at a greater odd for overweight and obesity in contrast to Europe, as well as adolescents from high earning families. South African local and contextual factors may be driving higher prevalence in specific sub-population. Our study also shows the need for frequent health-related data collection and tracking of adolescents’ health in South Africa.

Prevalence of Obesity and the Factors Associated with Low Obesity Awareness among Urban Adolescents in Harare, Zimbabwe

“…Furthermore, our results are consistent with previous studies from other African countries [37,38]. Sex differences in overweight and obesity have also been reported in other countries where biology, physical activity levels, and socio-cultural beliefs contribute to these differences [39][40][41][42]. However, to the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first one to link low obesity awareness and overweight/obesity prevalence, both of which are more pronounced in girls in Harare.…”

Crucial Regulatory Role of Organokines in Relation to Metabolic Changes in Non-Diabetic Obesity

“…Based on healthcare data, the worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 with an estimated 135 million people being overweight or obese in Europe [ 2 ]. However, the ratio of overweight or obesity shows a high variability according to the different geographical region, such as 42.2% in the general adult population in the United States [ 3 ]; 44.8% among the Latin population in the United States [ 3 ]; 17.8% in the overall population in Dubai [ 4 ]; 21.6% in South African subjects [ 5 ] and 47.6% in Europe [ 6 ]. As a matter of fact, data from Central Eastern European region are more concerning than those from Western European countries; for instance, in the Hungarian population, the overweight (body mass index; BMI: ≥25 kg/m 2 ) and obesity (BMI: ≥30 kg/m 2 ) prevalence are approximately 35% and 20%, respectively [ 7 ].…”

The Relationship between Certain Parental/Household Socio-Economic Characteristics and Female Adolescent Obesity in Montenegro

“…In contrast, studies conducted in Africa confirmed that the relationship between socio-economic status and adolescent obesity is positive and that adolescents from the highest SES households had a greater chance of being obese then those from lower SES households. They posited that an increase in wealth increases the availability of unhealthy food [34,48]. However, this study found that the level of a mother's education has a significantly negative relationship with obesity of female adolescents, and it can be said that the situation is the same as in other developed countries.…”

“…Regarding African countries, it should be mentioned that over the years, overweight and obesity have increased. From 1998 to 2016, the trend toward overweight and obesity in female adolescents increased from 26.77% to 33.88%, respectively [34]. Additionally, a recent publication, which, among other things, calculated obesity prevalence assessment based on the value of BMI, provides an accurate picture of the level of nutrition in a sample of adolescents aged 15 and over in 35 European countries, including the 27 European Union (EU) Member States, 5 EU candidate countries, and 3 countries located in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).…”