Abstract
BackgroundThe escalating global epidemic of obesity is of worldwide concern because of its association with several chronic diseases and premature mortality. Some subgroups seem to be more affected than others. The aim of this study was to examine whether the mean BMI (adjusted for age) and the prevalence of obesity (adjusted for all the explanatory variables) changed between 2000/01 and 2004/05 in different subgroups of the Swedish population.MethodsThis study compared two cross-sectional, nationwide random samples of persons aged 16 to 84 years: the first from 2000/01 (5515 men, 5838 women) and the second from 2004/05 (4681 men, 4821 women). After stratification by gender, a logistic regression model was applied to analyse possible changes in mean BMI and the prevalence of obesity between 2000/01 and 2004/05.ResultsTotal mean BMI remained almost unchanged between 2000/01 and 2004/05 for both men and women. The prevalence of obesity increased slightly in both men and women, but not significantly (from 9.7 to 10.8% and from 9.6 to 10.2%, respectively). The prevalence of obesity in 2004/05 was especially high in some subgroups: men aged 45-54 (14.3%) or 55-64 (16.5%), women aged 65-74 (15.9%) or 75-84 (16.8%), men and women of middle educational level (15.6% and 14.4%, respectively), male former smokers (13.4%), and men from small towns or rural areas (13.1%).ConclusionsAlthough the mean BMI and obesity were almost unchanged in the Swedish adult population between 2000/01 and 2004/05, obesity levels in Sweden remained unacceptably high, especially in certain subgroups. Primary and secondary intervention actions should strive to decrease the prevalence of obesity in Sweden.
Highlights
The escalating global epidemic of obesity is of worldwide concern because of its association with several chronic diseases and premature mortality
We set out to update the available information on these trends in total and in a variety of subgroups of the Swedish population to fill a gap in the existing data
In a previous study on body mass index (BMI) and obesity trends in Sweden from 1996/97 to 2000/01, we found that during that short study period, BMI had increased by 0.4 units in men and women, and the prevalence of obesity had gone up by 10%
Summary
The escalating global epidemic of obesity is of worldwide concern because of its association with several chronic diseases and premature mortality. The aim of this study was to examine whether the mean BMI (adjusted for age) and the prevalence of obesity (adjusted for all the explanatory variables) changed between 2000/01 and 2004/05 in different subgroups of the Swedish population. The high prevalence of obesity and its negative health effects give the disease a ranking as one of the foremost problems confronting health authorities worldwide. The most recent studies on obesity and body mass index (BMI) trends in the Swedish population trace developments up to 2000/01. The updated data can be used to assess progress or a lack thereof in stopping the spread of the obesity epidemic in Sweden, and to help target interventions to where they are needed the most, i.e., to the most vulnerable segments of the population. After adjusting for age, Middle Eastern immigrants had a 3.10 higher odds of being obese than their Swedish-born counterparts [18]
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