Maternal obesity trends in Egypt 1995-2005
Maternal obesity trends in Egypt 1995-2005
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 46% of adult females in Egypt are obese. This research was aimed at documenting obesity trends and identifying the populations most at risk for obesity. Using data from the 1995 and 2005 Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys a linear model was employed to seek associations between household wealth, urban/rural residence, governorate of residence, employment status, parity and age and increases in body mass index (BMI) among married Egyptian women between the ages of 15–49. Between 1995 and 2005, the mean BMI of women of reproductive age in Egypt increased from 26.31 to 28.52. Although there was an overall trend towards greater obesity between 1995 and 2005, older women residing in rural, poor households became obese at a faster rate than younger women residing in richer, urban households. Studies have shown that household wealth is a key determinant of food consumption patterns. Rising obesity rates among the poor in developed countries are linked to the relatively cheap price of high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods. One factor that may be contributing to the rapid increases in obesity among the rural poor in Egypt is the subsidisation of high-energy, low-nutritive value foods that form a larger part of the diet of poor, rural populations.
maternal obesity, food subsidies, public health interventions, egypt
167-179
Austin, Anne M.
7f40ced3-c21c-486e-a107-6129976a9639
Hill, Allan G.
5b17aa71-0c14-4fbf-8bc9-807c8294d4ae
Fawzi, Wafaie W.
3c50ed7c-42fc-46a4-ba81-e5b32670dad3
April 2013
Austin, Anne M.
7f40ced3-c21c-486e-a107-6129976a9639
Hill, Allan G.
5b17aa71-0c14-4fbf-8bc9-807c8294d4ae
Fawzi, Wafaie W.
3c50ed7c-42fc-46a4-ba81-e5b32670dad3
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 46% of adult females in Egypt are obese. This research was aimed at documenting obesity trends and identifying the populations most at risk for obesity. Using data from the 1995 and 2005 Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys a linear model was employed to seek associations between household wealth, urban/rural residence, governorate of residence, employment status, parity and age and increases in body mass index (BMI) among married Egyptian women between the ages of 15–49. Between 1995 and 2005, the mean BMI of women of reproductive age in Egypt increased from 26.31 to 28.52. Although there was an overall trend towards greater obesity between 1995 and 2005, older women residing in rural, poor households became obese at a faster rate than younger women residing in richer, urban households. Studies have shown that household wealth is a key determinant of food consumption patterns. Rising obesity rates among the poor in developed countries are linked to the relatively cheap price of high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods. One factor that may be contributing to the rapid increases in obesity among the rural poor in Egypt is the subsidisation of high-energy, low-nutritive value foods that form a larger part of the diet of poor, rural populations.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 7 October 2011
Published date: April 2013
Keywords:
maternal obesity, food subsidies, public health interventions, egypt
Organisations:
Social Statistics & Demography
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Local EPrints ID: 340390
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/340390
ISSN: 1740-8695
PURE UUID: e42ea1c6-36c3-4879-a215-7f3bb9134b66
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Date deposited: 20 Jun 2012 13:37
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:38
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Author:
Anne M. Austin
Author:
Wafaie W. Fawzi
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