CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 23, No 9, October 2012
514
AFRICA
be obese than their male counterparts in some regions (22.5 and
5.9%,
respectively).
33
When studies on urban and rural populations were analysed,
the prevalence of obesity was found to be higher in the
urban than the rural population (Table 2).
33,34
One study from
Ghana investigated the differences in overweight and obesity
between rural and urban Ghanaians and compared them with
first-generation Dutch–Ghanaian migrants in the Netherlands.
34
Findings showed the prevalence to be lowest for both males and
females in the rural regions and highest among their Western
counterparts.
A similar trend was observed in a study by Jackson
et al
.,
30
which examined overweight and obesity among populations of
African origin in Cameroon, Jamaica and the UK. They reported
TABLE 2. PREVALENCE OF OBESITYACROSS LOCATION/GENDER
Author
Country
Urban subjects
Rural subjects
Western counterparts
Men
Women
Men
Women
Men
Women
Agyemang
et al
.
34
(
Ghana/
Netherlands)
11 (3.0)
a
71 (17.0)
a
1 (0.5)
20 (6.3)
b
13 (19.1)
b
Dutch Ghanaians
23 (25.9)
b
Dutch Ghanaians
Amoah
33
(
Ghana)
5.9%
22.5%
2.0%
15.8%
–
–
Fezeu
et al.
10
(
Cameroon)
(95%
CI)
1994
data
2003
data
28.2%
(24.6–32.1)
27.4%
(23.6–31.5)
11.9 %
(9.1–15.2)
13.8%
(10.6–17.7)
1.5%
(0.4–3.4)
1.8%
(0.4–5.0)
2.1%
(1.0–4.0)
7.8%
(4.2–12.4)
–
–
–
–
Jackson
et al
.
30
(
Cameroon
and UK)
27.0 (5.0)
(25.2%)
25.0 (3.6)
(10.0%)
22.3 (3.3)
(3.3%)
21.7 (2.6)
(0.7 %)
28.6 (5.7)
(37.1 %)
27.3 (3.5)
a
(21.6%)
Data are presented as means and standard deviations in brackets unless stated otherwise.
a
p
<
0.001
significant difference between groups and between genders (the degree of difference is the same across a and b)
b
p
<
0.001
statistically significant comparing urban to rural counterpart. 95% CI: 95% confidence interval.
TABLE 1. CHARACTERISTICSAND CONTEXTUAL DETAILS OFALL THE INCLUDED STUDIES
Study
Sample
size total
(
women)
Study
design
Country of
origin
Inclusion criteria
Aim of study
Outcome measured
(
comparison evaluated)
Agyemang
et al
.
34
1 471
(
ND)
Cross
sectional
Ghana and
Netherlands
Urban and rural adults and
their Netherlands counter-
parts
≥
17
years
To assess the differences in over-
weight and obesity between Dutch–
Ghanaian migrants in Netherlands
and their rural/urban counterparts
in Ghana.
BMI, obesity (urban vs
rural population with their
European counterparts
(
males vs females)
Amoah
33
4 731
(2 874)
Cross
sectional
Ghana
Urban and rural adults
≥
25
years
To determine the association
between obesity and socio-demo-
graphic factors in Ghana
BMI, %obesity prevalence
(
urban vs rural population,
males vs females)
Asfaw
2
3 190
(
ND)
Health
survey
South Africa
and Senegal
Adults in South Africa and
Senegal
≥
18
years
The effects of obesity on doctor-
diagnosed chronic diseases in
Africa
BMI, age, doctor-diag-
nosed comorbidities
(
obese vs non-obese
population)
Fezeu
et al
.
10
3 160
(
ND)
Cross
sectional
Cameroon Urban and rural adults
≥
24
years
To compare the 10-year changes in
the distribution of adiposity in rural
vs urban Cameroonian population
BMI, WC (urban vs rural
population, males vs
females)
Ibhazehiebo
et al.
36
120
(60)
Case–
control
Nigeria
18–22
years
To determine the association of
obesity with premature increase
in BP
BMI, weight, SBP, DBP
(
obese vs non-obese,
males vs females)
Jackson
et al
.
30
2 855
(
ND)
Cross
sectional
Cameroon,
Jamaica and
UK
Age 25–74 years; not preg-
nant and of African descent
by ancestry, observed race
and self-assignment
To determine the relationship
between diet and obesity
BMI, socio-demographic
factors (rural vs urban and
Africans in diaspora) with
age taken into account
Rush
et al.
31
721
(721)
Observa-
tional
South Africa
and New
Zealand
18–60
years
To investigate the relationship
between BMI and %BF among 5
ethnic groups
BMI, %BF , WC (South
African black vs South
African European)
Schutte
et al
.
37
98
(98)
Case–
control
South Africa Urban adults
≥
18
years
Determine the relationship between
HBP and leptin levels in African
women
BMI, weight, leptin level
(
normotensive vs hyperten-
sive African women)
Schutte
et al
.
35
217
(217)
Case–case
control
South Africa Urban adults 20–50 years
Relationship between inflamma-
tion, obesity and cardiovascular
disease.
Cardiovascular and inflam-
matory bio-markers (SBP,
DBP, CO, TRP, leptin,
HsCRP and fibrinogen
(
Africans vs Caucasians)
Schutte
et al
.
32
217
(217)
Cross
sectional
South Africa Urban adults 20–55 years To determine the relationship
between BMI, HBP and cardiovas-
cular and inflammatory biomarkers
BMI, DBP, SBP, leptin,
CRP and hypertension %
(
Africans vs Caucasians)
ND, not defined; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; %BF, percentage body fat; WC, waist circumference; BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic
blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HBP, high blood pressure; CO, cardiac output; TPR, total peripheral resistance.
