Abstract
BackgroundUnderweight and overweight both have a long-lasting significant effect on human health at the individual and population levels. However, in the context of Timor-Leste, a country that achieved independence around two decades ago, there is a severe scarcity of evidence regarding the underweight and obesity burden. We conducted this study to find out the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity and their associated factors.MethodsThis study used the nationally representative data of Timor-Leste Demographic Health Survey 2016 data. We conducted descriptive analysis followed by multivariable logistic regression analysis to find out the prevalence and investigate the associated factors. Both crude and adjusted odds ratio of covariates were reported with 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThis study analyzed the data from a weighted sample of 16,488 Timorese aged 15–49 years. The prevalence of normal weight, underweight, and overweight or obesity were found to be 55.2% (95% CI: 54.2%-56.2%), 25.5% (95% CI: 24.4%-26.7%), and 19.3% (95% CI: 18.3%-20.3%), respectively. For underweight, age, sex, type of settlement (urban/rural), township, and wealth, marital, and educational status were found to have a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) with Body Mass Index(BMI). After adjustment for the covariates in the logistic regression model age, sex, township, and wealth and marital status were found to be statistically significant correlates (p < .05) of underweight. For overweight and obesity, all the background characteristics included in this study (i.e, age, sex, type of settlement, township, and wealth, marital, and educational status) were found to be statistically significant correlates, after adjustment for the covariates.ConclusionThis study concludes that Timor-Leste has a significant underweight and overweight burden which needs to be addressed through appropriate interventions. Further studies are also warranted to delve deeper into the complex interplay of factors associated with underweight and overweight.
Highlights
In 2016, over 1.9 billion adults over the age of 18 were overweight or obese
The prevalence of normal weight, underweight, and overweight or obesity were found to be 55.2%, 25.5%, and 19.3%, respectively
Further studies are warranted to delve deeper into the complex interplay of factors associated with underweight and overweight
Summary
In 2016, over 1.9 billion adults over the age of 18 were overweight or obese. This number has tripled since estimates from 1975 [1]. The ineffective tackling of the problem of underweight, combined with the encroaching problem of overweight, has left many low- and middle-income nations caught under the weight of the double-burden of malnutrition (DBM) [5]. Countries affected by this double-burden must focus on the health-related consequence of being underweight as well as the increasing prevalence of NCDs associated with being overweight [5]. The co-occurrence of multiple forms of malnutrition across individual life histories, socioeconomic levels, as well as within households and countries remain an area of importance [6, 7] Underweight and overweight both have a long-lasting significant effect on human health at the individual and population levels.
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