Trends and risks factors associated to women obesity in Cameroon and Gabon

摘要

Overweight or obesity sets in when there is a successive increase in body mass. Obesity is quantified or measured using body mass index (BMI) which is calculated using the weight and size of an individual. If the BMI is greater than or equal to 25 kg / m~2, a person is considered to be overweight, which is a condition associated with excessive fat. The increase in body weight and its corollary (obesity) is a major public health problem, which is becoming increasingly important in developing societies. In Cameroon and Gabon, we note an increase in the proportion of overweight among women: nearly 2.77% between 2004 and 2011 (from Cameroon) and nearly 13.22% between 2000 and 2012 (from Gabon). The objective of this study is to show that overweight women are going to become a public health problem in Central Africa. For this purpose, we decided to study the increased risk of becoming overweight for women in central Africa, namely in Cameroon and Gabon. We focused firstly, on the explanatory sources of the increase in the proportion of overweight women and secondly, the factors associated with the risk of being overweight among women from Gabon and Cameroon. This study is about women aged 15-49 years disseminated throughout the national territory of both countries. Results show that the increase in the proportion of overweight in women is mainly due to a change of lifestyle. The explanatory analysis model highlights that, area of residence, age, place of residence, the standard of living of household, marital status and occupation of women, parity (number of children) and educational level (only in Cameroon) are factors explaining weight increase in women. Therefore, medical and educational workers, as well as opinion leaders, need to educate women about the importance of sedentary lifestyle and the need to have a quality dietary habit and food hygiene (eat organic foods consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables).