Demographic, dietary and physical activity predictors of general and abdominal obesity among university students: a cross-sectional study

Mogre et al. SpringerPlus (2015) 4:226 DOI 10.1186/s40064-015-0999-2 RESEARCH a SpringerOpen Journal Open Access Demographic, dietary and physical activity predictors of general and abdominal obesity among university students: a cross-sectional study Victor Mogre1*, Rauf Nyaba2, Samuel Aleyira2 and Napoleon B. Sam3 Abstract Background: Obesity has become a disease of global public health concern in both developing and developed countries. We investigated the influence of socio-demographic, dietary habits and physical activity levels on general and abdominal obesity among a sample of university students in Ghana. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among a sample of 552 students attending the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tamale, Ghana. Demographic characteristics were assessed using questionnaire. Dietary habits were measured by means of food frequency questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were done using appropriate methods. Physical activity levels were measured using the World Health Organization (WHO) global physical activity questionnaire. Spearman’s nonparametric correlation coefficient and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the determinants of general and abdominal obesity. Results: The prevalence of general overweight/obesity (25.8 % vs. 5.9 %) and abdominal obesity (40.9 % vs. 0.8 %) was higher in female students than in male students. General overweight/obesity was less likely in students who engaged in vigorous physical activity (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.3, 95 % CI = 0.1 – 0.7, p = 0.004), but more likely in students who consumed fruits and vegetables > 3 days per week (AOR = 2.6, 95 % CI = 1.2 – 5.4, p = 0.015). Abdominal obesity was also less likely in male students (AOR = 0.0, 95 % CI = 0.0 – 0.5, p = 0.017) but more likely in students who consumed roots and tubers > 3 times per week (AOR = 8.0, 95 % CI = 2.2 – 10.1, p = 0.017) and in those who consumed alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages > 3 times per week (AOR = 8.2, 95 % CI = 2.2 – 31.1, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Demographic factors, dietary habits and physical activity levels were found to be associated to general overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity. General overweight/obesity was associated to the consumption of fruits and vegetables > 3 times a week. The consumption of roots and tubers > 3 times per week and alcoholic and non-alcohol beverages > 3 times a week was associated to abdominal obesity. Engagement in vigorous physical activity and being male were negatively associated to general overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity respectively. Promotion of active lifestyles in young adults should be encouraged. Keywords: Abdominal obesity; Physical activity; Dietary habits; University students; General obesity; Tamale, Ghana * Correspondence: 1 Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box TL 1883, Tamale, Ghana Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © 2015 Mogre et al.; licensee Springer. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. Mogre et al. SpringerPlus (2015) 4:226 Background Globally, obesity has become an epidemic occurring in both developed and developing countries (World Health Organization 1997; James et al. 2001). Recent findings reported from Ghana and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa have shown that obesity is becoming increasingly common in both young (Mogre et al. 2014; Amidu et al. 2013; Oghagbon et al. 2009; Olusanya and Omotayo 2011; Onyechi and Okolo 2008) and older adults (Kamadjeu et al. 2006; Mogre et al. 2012). It’s been projected that by the year 2020, the global impact of non-communicable diseases will cause up to 73 % of deaths and 60 % of the disease burden (Mufunda et al. 2006). Obesity and its co-morbidities are the leading causes of such non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and the metabolic syndrome (Visscher and Seidell 2001). Even though BMI-measured obesity has been shown to be associated to cardiovascular diseases and other forms of non-communicable diseases, some studies report that pattern of body (Wei et al. 1997; Folsom et al. 1993; Xavier Pi-Sunyer 2000) fat distribution is a more important determinant than general obesity. Abdominal obesity measured by waist circumference has been shown to be associated with increased overall risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes (Prineas et al. 1993). Despite the strong relationship between obesity and genetics, several other factors have been identified for the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in developing countries including nutrition transition and sedentary lifestyle (Mogre et al. 2014; Al-Hazzaa et al. 2012; Azadbakht and Esmaillzadeh 2008). Unhealthy dietary habits have been associated with obesity and several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer (Parkin 2011; Reddy and Katan 2004). The risk of developing chronic diseases has been shown to increase with the consumption of a diet rich in energy, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol but relatively low in unsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables. Large epidemiological studies have also demonstrated associations between higher physical activity levels and lower rates of several chronic diseases (Warburton et al. 2010; Lee et al. 2012). Socio-demographic factors such as gender, marriage, and educational level, among others, have also been shown to be associated to obesity (Mogre et al. 2014; Mogre et al. 2012). Sedentary lifestyles together with the nutrition transition characterized by the proliferation of fast food spots might affect the dietary habits of young adults in developing countries including Ghana increasing their risk of developing obesity (Mogre et al. 2014; Yahia et al. 2008). However, studies on the dietary habits, physical activity levels and socio-demographic characteristics and their associations to obesity are limited in sub-Saharan Page 2 of 8 Africa including Ghana. Data are needed to provide an increased understanding of these associations for health policy makers and health providers to design programs for the effective prevention and management of obesity in young adults in Ghana. This study investigated the associations between general overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity and demographic factors (age and sex), dietary habits and physical activity levels in a sample of university students in Ghana. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among a sample of 552 students (aged 18–36 years) attending the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine and Health Sciences (...truncated)