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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health and Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1400066

Assessment of Abdominal Obesity Prevalence and Determinants Among Adults in Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Tewodros Yosef Tewodros Yosef 1*Asresash Sebeta Asresash Sebeta 2Eyob Tekalign Eyob Tekalign 1
  • 1 Mizan Tepi University, Mīzan Teferī, Ethiopia
  • 2 Mizan Aman Health Sciences College, mizan teferi, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Abdominal obesity, excess fat around the abdomen, is more harmful than other fat types and is a key diagnostic criterion for metabolic syndrome. It poses a growing global public health concern. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of and determinants of abdominal obesity among adults in southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 624 adults in Semen Bench district, southwest Ethiopia was conducted from May 23 to June 23, 2022. The data was gathered using questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. The data were analyzed using Stata version 18. A robust Poisson regression was used due to the abdominal obesity prevalence exceeding 10%. Variables with p-values < 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable analysis. The adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) and 95% confidence interval were reported to indicate statistical significance and the strength of associations. Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 18% (95% CI: 15%-21%). After adjusting for confounding variables, the determinants of abdominal obesity included participants aged 31-50 (APR = 3.62, 95% CI: 2.67-8.95) and 51-65 (APR = 3.24, 95% CI: 2.51-8.69), being female (APR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.63-4.98), having a low wealth index (APR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.19-3.76), physical inactivity (APR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06-4.18), lack of adequate dietary diversity (APR = 3.08, 95% CI: 2.09-6.42), and food insecurity (APR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.82-7.68). Conclusion: The research revealed that 18% of the participants exhibited abdominal obesity. Factors such as advanced age, being female, having a low wealth index, physical inactivity, insufficient dietary diversity, and food insecurity were identified as contributors to abdominal obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to develop targeted interventions to address modifiable factors, as this can also help prevent the onset of non-communicable chronic diseases associated with abdominal obesity.

    Keywords: abdominal obesity, Cross-sectional study, Prevalence ratio, Southwest Ethiopia, waist-to-hip ratio

    Received: 13 Mar 2024; Accepted: 18 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yosef, Sebeta and Tekalign. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Tewodros Yosef, Mizan Tepi University, Mīzan Teferī, Ethiopia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.