Middle-age Spread of Overweight and Obesity in Ghana; Myth or Reality? Evidence from WHO SAGE Wave 2 Data

Aims: The aim of this study is to describe the age-related risk of overweight/obesity among Ghanaians using data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 2.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Ghana; 2014-2015.

Methodology: Primary study variables were extracted onto Microsoft Excel 14.0 spreadsheet. Secondary variables were generated through grouping, recategorization and combination of primary variables. Descriptive statistics were calculated for age and BMI. Associations between respondents’ characteristics and BMI were evaluated with chi square(χ2) and odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence level.

Results: Data of 1322 respondents were included in data analysis. In all, 520 (39.3%) of the respondents were overweight/obese and nearly half (46.62%) were middle-aged adults. Middle-aged adults were nearly twice as likely to be overweight/obese compared with old adults (AOR=1.62; CI: 1.25-2.10) and the risk was higher for middle-aged females (AOR=2.38; CI: 1.84-3.09). Overall, being middle-aged (OR=1.73; CI: 1.35-2.21); living in an urban community (OR=2.01; CI: 1.61-2.52); being a female (OR=2.69; CI: 2.1-3.44); not engaging in regular physical activity (OR=1.49; CI: 1.18-1.88); and being an occasional drinker of alcoholic beverage (OR=1.58; CI: 1,12-2.22) were significantly associated with overweight/obesity.

Conclusion: Obesity/overweight are lifestyle driven phenomenon and can be controlled by risk modification. Public sensitization, imposition of special taxes on sugary beverages, promotion of healthy local staples and creation of enabling community environments to encourage physical activity may be useful approaches in controlling the epidemic.