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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 30, No 6, November/December 2019
AFRICA
363
Results
Fig. 1 presents the percentage for BMI categories for the total
group and by gender. The results show that of the total group,
39% had normal weight, 27% were overweight and 34% were
obese. The findings also indicate that 29% of women were
overweight compared to 24% of men. Similarly 48% of women
were obese in comparison to 17% of men.
Fig. 2 presents the percentage of hypertension for the
total group by gender and BMI categories. In the total group,
the results show that 25% of the employees presented with
hypertension in which the women (27%) were more affected than
men (22%). When the data were analysed according to BMI
categories, the results showed a significantly higher percentage of
hypertension in both the overweight and obese groups.
Table 1 presents the percentages regarding the subjects’
characteristics for the total, non-obese and obese groups. The
women in the age group of 45 to 65 years had a higher prevalence
of overweight (84.7%) and obesity (87.3%) compared to 76.6
and 82.9% of the men (Table 1). The results also show that
participants with no education tended to be more overweight
(71.1%) compared to those with qualifications, where women
were 76.4% overweight and 66.1% obese, in contrast to men
who were 63.3% overweight and 65.7% obese. The findings
also indicate that 83.5% of grounds maintenance employees
were overweight and 79.7% were obese in comparison to
participants in other occupations, where women showed a higher
preponderance of overweight (90.3%) and obesity (77.1%)
compared to men who were 73.5% overweight. Accounting
clerks showed a higher percentage of obesity (88.6%) within the
obese category.
Presented in Table 2 are the means and standard deviations
for overweight and obesity for the total group and by gender. As
shown in the results, the mean height for the non-obese group
was 167.94
±
8.80 cm (from the total group of 178 participants).
Men were taller on average (170.71
±
7.19 cm) than women
%
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Total group
Men
Women
Normal Overweight Obese
39
27
34
59
24
17
23
29
48
Fig. 1.
BMI categories for the total group and by gender.
%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Total
group
Men Women
Normal Hypertension
Normal
BMI
Over-
weight
group
Obese
group
75
78
73
82
78
65
25
22
27
18
22
35
Fig. 2.
Hypertension for the total group by gender and BMI
categories
Table 1. Subject characteristics of the men, women and total participants in the non-obese and obese groups
Non-obese group,
n
(%)
Obese group,
n
(%)
Total
participants
Men
Women
Total participants
Men
Women
OV
OB
OV
OB
OV
OB
Variables
Age group (years)
24–29
17 (9.6)
4 (3.3)
13 (23.6)
8 (7)
5 (3)
1 (2)
2 (5.7)
7 (9.7)
3 (2.5)
30–44
14 (7.9)
8 (6.5)
6 (10.9)
13 (11)
16 (11)
9 (18)
4 (11.4)
4 (5.6)
12 (10.2)
45–65
147 (82.6)
111 (90.2)
36 (65.5)
100 (83)
132 (86)
39 (76.6)
29 (82.9)
61 (84.7)
103 (87.3)
Qualification
No formal education
124 (69.7)
92 (74.8)
32 (58.2)
86 (71.1)
101 (10)
31 (63.3)
23 (65.7)
55 (76.4)
78 (66.1)
Std 8
8 (4.5)
8 (6.5)
8 (14.5)
4 (8.3)
10 (6.5)
2 (4.1)
4 (11.4)
2 (2.8)
6 (5.1)
Matric
20 (11.2)
12 (9.8)
10 (18.2)
7 (5.8)
18 (12)
3 (6.1)
2 (5.7)
4 (5.6)
16 (13.6)
Diploma
17 (9.6)
7 (5.7)
1 (1.8)
9 (7.4)
16 (10.5)
5 (10.2)
4 (11.4)
4 (5.6)
12 (10.2)
Degree 1
2 (1.1)
1 (0.8)
1 (1.8)
2 (1.7)
3 (2)
2 (4.1)
1
-
2 (1.7)
Degree 3
1 (0.6)
1 (0.8)
2 (3.6)
5 (4.1)
4 (2.6)
3 (6.1)
1
2 (2.8)
3 (2.5)
Degree 4
3 (1.7)
1 (0.8)
1 (1.8)
7 (5.8)
–
3 (6.1)
4 (5.6)
Certificate
2 (1.1)
1 (0.8)
–
1 (0.8)
1 (0.7)
-
1 (1.4)
1 (0.8)
Occupation
General clerk
12 (6.7)
11 (8.9)
1 (1.8)
11 (9.1)
18 (11.8)
8 (16.3)
4 (11.4)
3 (4.2)
14 (11.9)
Accounting clerk
3 (1.7)
1 (0.8)
2 (3.6)
2 (1.7)
7 (4.6)
1 (2.0)
31 (88.6)
1 (1.4)
7 (5.9)
Grounds maintenance workers
160 (89.9)
111 (90.2)
49 (89.1)
101 (83.5)
122 (79.1)
36 (73.5)
65 (90.3)
91 (77.1)
Municipality manager (MM)
1 (0.6)
–
1 (1.8)
6 (6)
2 (1.3)
4 (8.2)
2 (2.8)
2 (1.7)
Councillors
2 (1.1)
–
2 (3.6)
1 (1)
4 (2.6)
–
1 (1.4)
4 (3.4)
OV
=
overweight; OB
=
obese, Std 8
=
Standard eight (grade 10).