title: Obesity in adult Nigerians: a study of its prevalence and common primary co-morbidities in a semi-urban Mission General Hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is socially and culturally acceptable in Nigeria and therefore not usually recognized as a medical problem. This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of obesity using body mass index (BMI) criterion and its common primary comorbidities among adult Nigerians attending a semi-urban Mission General Hospital in Imo state, SouthEastern, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive study using primary data collection technique was carried out from October 2007 to December 2008. A total of 9296 consecutive new adult patients aged 18-88 years were screened for obesity using BMI criterion and 684 patients who had BMI = 30 kg/m2 met the inclusion criteria. The data collected included age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, weight (kilogram), height (meters), and blood pressure; fasting blood sugar and fasting lipid profile. Obese patients' perception of their obese condition and knowledge of lifestyle modification were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and eighty-four (7.4%) out of a total of 9296 patients screened for obesity were obese. Hypertension (18.4%) was the commonest primary comorbidity, others include high triglyceridaemia (9.2%), high total cholesterol (8.2%), high LDL-cholesterol (6.0%) and diabetes mellitus (3.4%). One hundred and one (14.8%) obese patients were aware of their obese condition and majority, 72 (71.3%) of them were informed of their obese condition by healthcare professionals. Forty seven (46.5%) of those who were aware of their obese condition had knowledge of lifestyle modification. However, majority (72.3%) of those who had knowledge of lifestyle modification demonstrated low knowledge level of lifestyle modification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown the existence of obesity and its common primary co-morbidities among the study population. Anthropometric determination of obesity and screening for its common primary comorbidities should be integrated as part of clinic baseline assessment of adult Nigerians attending semi-urban hospitals. Those who had obesity-related primary co morbidities should become secondary target for risk reduction therapy and appropriate management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia state, Nigeria. ilohgup2009@yahoo.com
authors.forename: G U P
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Iloh
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Amadi
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Nwankwo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult