Lifestyle and social factors associated with obesity among the Bahraini adult population

• Published in: Ecology of food and nutrition Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 121 - 133
• Main Authors: Musaiger, Abdulrahman O., Al-Awadi, Abdul-hai A., Al-Mannai, Mariam A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.2000; Taylor and Francis
• Subjects: Bahrain; Biological and medical sciences; Lifestyle; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Obesity; overweight; social tactors; Asia; Bahrain; Human; Obesity; Prevalence; Nutrition disorder; Sex; Environmental factor; Overweight; Body mass index; Social status; Cross sectional study; Adult; Nutritional status; Life style
• ISSN: 0367-0244; 1543-5237
• DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2000.9991610

A cross-sectional survey on 514 Bahraini natives aged 30-79 years was carried out to study the lifestyle and social factors associated with obesity. Body mass index, BMI (weight, kg/high, m 2 ) was used to determine obesity among the study population. Obesity was considered when the subject had BMI equal to or greater than 25. The overall prevalence of obesity was 56% in men and 79.6% in women. Age, sex, education, smoking and history of diabetes and hypertension, watching television and frequency of fruit intake had a significant association with obesity. When a multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of occurrence of obesity, it was found that the risk of obesity is greater in subjects who were females, educated, currently married, watching television daily, non-smokers, consuming fresh fruit more than three times a week and having a history of diabetes and hypertension. Lifestyle, dietary habits and social factors should be considered, therefore, in any health programme to prevent and control obesity in this community.