title: Prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors among adults in Kinondoni municipal district, Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is on the rise worldwide, not sparing developing countries. Both demographic and socio-economic factors play parts in obesity causation. Few surveys have been conducted in Tanzania to determine the magnitude of obesity and its association with these risk factors. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of obesity and its associated risk factors among adults aged 18 - 65 years in Kinondoni municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from April 2007 to April 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sampling of households was performed. Interviews and anthropometric measurement were carried out to eligible and consenting members of the selected households. Obesity was defined using Body Mass Index (BMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 1249 subjects recruited, 814 (65.2%) were females. The overall prevalence of obesity was 19.2% (240/1249). However, obesity was significantly more prevalent in women (24.7%) than men (9%), p < 0.001, among respondents with high socio-economic status (29.2%) as compared to those with medium (14.3%) and low socio-economic status (11.3%), p value for trend < 0.001, and among respondents with light intensity activities (26.0%), p value for trend < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed a higher prevalence of obesity among Kinondoni residents than previously reported in other parts of the country. Independent predictors of obesity in the population studied were increasing age, marriage and cohabitation, high SES, female sex and less vigorous physical activities.
authors: Department of internal medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. mundibilinga@yahoo.com
authors: Grace A
authors: GA
authors: Shayo
authors: Ferdinand M
authors: FM
authors: Mugusi
references: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Sep;32(9 Suppl):S498-504
references: 10993420
references: Eur J Clin Nutr. 2001 Sep;55(9):805-11
references: 11528498
references: Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993 Jan;25(1):71-80
references: 8292105
references: Obes Res. 2004 Sep;12(9):1386-96
references: 15483203
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 Sep;99(3):1112-9
references: 15831804
references: Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Feb 15;161(4):368-76
references: 15692081
references: Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2002 Oct;29(S4):S23-S26
references: 29537675
references: World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253
references: 11234459
references: Circulation. 1998 Oct 6;98(14):1472-6
references: 9760304
references: Obes Res. 2004 Jul;12(7):1117-27
references: 15292476
references: Obes Rev. 2007 Jan;8(1):3-10
references: 17212790
references: BMJ. 1995 Aug 12;311(7002):437-9
references: 7640595
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1312-7
references: 12716687
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Jul;54(1):49-55
references: 2058587
references: Health Policy Plan. 2006 Nov;21(6):459-68
references: 17030551
references: JAMA. 1996 Aug 7;276(5):391-5
references: 8683818