Determinants of Obesity Among Women of Childbearing Age in Urban Areas of Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Its prevalence is increasing rapidly and reached epidemic proportions globally. Evidence suggests that the situation is likely to get worse especially among women because women tend to gain greatest amount of weight during their child-bearing age, putting them at risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, and many other chronic disorders. Only few studies assessed the situation of obesity in women of childbearing age living in urban areas of Ethiopia. Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the determinant factors of obesity among women of childbearing age in urban areas of Ethiopia. Methods: The study used women’s of childbearing age dataset from the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. The survey sample was designed to provide national, urban/rural, and regional representative estimates of key health and demographic indicators. This study used 3,535 urban women’s, from the total 14,505 eligible women of childbearing age in the country. The sample was selected using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling procedure. Odds ratio along with 95% confidence interval in binary logistic regression was used to assess determinant factors associated with obesity among urban women of childbearing age. Results: The prevalence of obesity was (2.84%) among women of childbearing age living in urban areas of Ethiopia. Obesity was significantly associated with occupation, age, marital status, children ever born, wealth terciles, religion, parent’s educational status and residing region in the binary logistic regression analysis. Parents education (AOR= 0.50: 95% CI (0.26 - 0.94), wealth tersiles (AOR=2.01: 95% CI (1.10 – 3.67) and (AOR= 6.37: 95% CI (3.38 – 12.00) in medium and high, respectively and residing regions (AOR= 4.91: 95% CI; 1.24 – 19.47), (AOR=5.68: 95% CI; 1.52 - 21.16), (AOR=17.81: 95% CI; 4.97 – 63.78), (AOR=4.62: 95% CI; 1.36 – 15.64), (AOR=4.21: 95% CI; 1.28 - 13.75) and (AOR=6.06: 95% CI; 1.81 – 20.23) in Afar, Oromiya, Somali, Harari, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa regions, respectively were found to be determinants of obesity. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity among women of childbearing age in urban areas was high. Parents’ education, wealth terciles and residing region were associated with obesity. Targeted interventions should be put in place to reverse increasing levels of obesity in order to prevent the risk of obesity and its related life threatening effects.