Abstract
BackgroundThe global pandemic of obesity has become a disastrous public health issue that needs urgent attention. Previous studies have concentrated in high-income urban settings and few cover low-income rural settings especially nomadic residents in mountain areas. This study focused on low-income rural and nomadic minority people residing in China’s far west and investigated their prevalence and ethnic differences of obesity.MethodsA questionnaire-based survey and physical examination of 8,036 individuals were conducted during 2009–2010, using stratified cluster random sampling method in nomadic Kazakhs and rural Uyghur residents (≥18 years old) in 18 villages, Xinjiang, China, about 4,407 km away from capital Beijing. Obesity was defined by BMI and WC.ResultsThe overall prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in Kazakh adults were 18.3% and 60.0%, respectively and in Uyghur, 7.6% and 54.5%, respectively. Female’s prevalence of obesity was higher than male’s for general obesity (45–54 age group in Uyghur, P = 0.041) and abdominal obesity (≥55 years in Kazakhs, P55∼ = 0.010, P65∼ = 0.001; and ≥18 years in Uyghurs, P<0.001). Kazakh’s prevalence of obesity was higher than Uyghur’s (general obesity: ≥35 years, P<0.001; abdominal obesity: ≥25 years in males and ≥65 years in females, P<0.01). The prevalence of obesity increased after 18 years old and subsequently decreased after 55 years old. Meat consumption, older age, and female gender had a higher risk of obesity in these two minorities.ConclusionsBoth general and abdominal obesity were common in rural ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs. The prevalence rates were different in these two minorities depending on ethnicity, gender, and age. Kazakhs, females and elderly people may be prioritized in prevention of obesity in western China. Because of cost-effectiveness in measuring BMI and WC, we recommend that BMI and WC be integrated into local preventive policies in public health toward screening obesity and related diseases in low-income rural minorities.
Highlights
Obesity has become a global pandemic affecting 200 million men and nearly 300 million women worldwide posting great public health threats to all nations and all races [1]
Using Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), this study has focused on studying two local minority groups, namely Kazakh and Uyghur people, to investigate the prevalence of obesity and possible differences between ethnic groups residing in far western China
Kazakh adults had greater BMI and WC compared to corresponding Uyghur adults (Table 1)
Summary
Obesity has become a global pandemic affecting 200 million men and nearly 300 million women worldwide posting great public health threats to all nations and all races [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the worldwide prevalence of obesity (body mass index (BMI) $30 kg/m2) was almost doubled between 1980 and 2008 with estimated 502 million adults being obese globally by 2008 [2,3,4,5]. Due to differences in religion, culture, lifestyle, diet, and genetic background in these ethnic groups, characterizing the prevalence of obesity may reveal valuable information for making appropriate policies in preventive public health for inhabitant residents in Xinjiang. This study focused on low-income rural and nomadic minority people residing in China’s far west and investigated their prevalence and ethnic differences of obesity
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