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Prevalence of Obesity in India and Its Neurological Implications: A Multifactor Analysis of a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
- Source :
- Annals of Neurosciences
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Background: India is undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition, from underweight to overweight/obese population. Obesity is a major risk factor in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and is also implicated as a factor in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. A robust, pan-Indian estimate of obesity is not yet available. Purpose: This study estimates the pan-Indian prevalence of obesity, stratified across nonmodifiable (age and gender) and modifiable (education and physical activity levels) factors, and across zones and urban/rural. Methodology: Data for 1,00,531 adults from a nationwide randomized cluster sample survey ( Niyantrita Madhumeha Bharata 2017, phase 1) were analyzed. Obesity was determined using body mass index, and cross-tabulations were calculated across zones, age, gender, education, physical activity, and area. To determine statistical significance, t-tests were used. The odds of obesity within each category of the various factors were calculated using binary logistic regression. Results: Prevalence of obesity in India is 40.3%. Zonal variations were seen as follows: south highest at 46.51% and east lowest at 32.96%. Obesity was higher among women than men (41.88% vs. 38.67%), urban than rural (44.17% vs. 36.08%), and over 40 than under 40 (45.81% vs. 34.58%). More education implied a higher obesity (44.6% college vs. 38% uneducated), as did lowered physical activity (43.71% inactive vs. 32.56% vigorously active). The odds ratio for physical activity was 3.83, stronger than age (1.58), education (1.4), urban (1.3), and gender (1.2). Conclusion: Obesity levels in India are very high, across all zones. The odds of being obese increases with age, and is higher among women and among urban dwellers. Obesity is the highest among aging urban men and women who are college educated and are sedentary. Physical activity and aging are the strongest determinants of obesity. Given the high cost of obesity in terms of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease, urgent public health measures are necessary to reduce its impact.
- Subjects :
- Cross-sectional study
alzheimer
Population
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Type 2 diabetes
Overweight
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Environmental health
medicine
obesity prevalence
Obesity
Risk factor
education
NMB
education.field_of_study
diabetes
business.industry
General Neuroscience
Original Articles
medicine.disease
Epidemiological transition
Underweight
medicine.symptom
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 09763260 and 09727531
- Volume :
- 27
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Annals of Neurosciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....19362a9e98478cf35984a3a4ebdae5a2
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0972753120987465