Abstract
BackgroundObesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are key risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Little information exists on the prevalence of obesity and MetS in Latin America and specifically in Ecuador. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and MetS among adults in Ecuador.MethodsWe analyzed data from a nation-wide population-based survey in Ecuador (ENSANUT-ECU) among 10,318 participants (3684 men, 6634 women; age range: 18–59 years) conducted in 2012. Data related to residential location (urban versus rural), altitude (< 500, 500–1500 or > 1500 m above sea level (MASL)), region (highland, coast, amazon, or Galápagos), and socioeconomic status were collected. BMI, waist circumference, blood lipids, glucose, and blood pressure were measured by trained fieldworkers following standardized procedures.ResultsThe age-standardized prevalence of overweight was 39.5%; 22.3% was obese; and 31.2% had MetS. The prevalence of obesity, low HDL-cholesterol, and abdominal obesity were higher in women than in men, whereas men had a higher prevalence of hypertension (p < 0.05). Sex differences were not observed regarding the prevalence of combined MetS. Prevalence of both obesity and MetS was higher in urban areas, at low altitude regions (coast and Galapagos), and at high socioeconomic status (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsPrevalence of obesity and MetS in Ecuador are high. There are important demographic differences in the prevalence of MetS between Ecuadorian subpopulations that requires targeted research and prevention efforts, to hold and reduce the current public health problem of metabolic disorders.
Highlights
IntroductionThere has been a dramatic epidemiologic transition from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases in the past decades in developing countries [1]
There has been a dramatic epidemiologic transition from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases in the past decades in developing countries [1]. This transition could be explained by the increased overweight prevalence [2, 3] which is associated with higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS), cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), which are currently the leading causes of morbidity and death in Latin America and worldwide [4,5,6]
Our results showed a high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and the MetS in Ecuador, and that there are crucial differences between region, area, socioeconomic status, and importantly by gender within the Ecuadorian population
Summary
There has been a dramatic epidemiologic transition from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases in the past decades in developing countries [1]. [3, 8], while the prevalence of MetS was recently estimated to be around 25% in the population between 18 and 65 years old, where low HDL-cholesterol and abdominal obesity were the most frequent components [7]. Sex differences were not observed regarding the prevalence of combined MetS Prevalence of both obesity and MetS was higher in urban areas, at low altitude regions (coast and Galapagos), and at high socioeconomic status (all p < 0.05). There are important demographic differences in the prevalence of MetS between Ecuadorian subpopulations that requires targeted research and prevention efforts, to hold and reduce the current public health problem of metabolic disorders
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