TY - JOUR
T1 - Obesity and regional fat distribution in Kenyan populations: Impact of ethnicity and urbanization
AU - Larsson, Melanie Wange
N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to all study participants, the local chiefs and sub-chiefs, the local elder councils and district politicians. We kindly thank all local assistants and especially Robert Omondi of CPHR, KEMRI for excellent social mobilization of study participants and for their skilled work in measurements of body composition. At Steno Diabetes Center, we are indebted to statisticians Drs Bendix Carstensen and Dorte Vistisen for their kind assistance. We acknowledge the permission by the Director of KEMRI to publish this manuscript. This study was funded by DANIDA, University of Copenhagen (Cluster of International Health), Steno Diabetes Center, Beckett Foundation, Dagmar Marshall’s Foundation, Dr Thorvald Madsen’s Grant, Kong Christian den Tiende’s Foundation, and Brdr. Hartmann Foundation.
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Background: Obesity is increasing rapidly in Africa, and may not be associated with the same changes in body composition among different ethnic groups in Africa. Objective: To assess abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness, prevalence of obesity, and differences in body composition in rural and urban Kenya. Subjects and methods: In a cross-sectional study carried out among Luo, Kamba and Maasai in rural and urban Kenya, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thicknesses were measured by ultrasonography. Height and weight, waist, mid-upper arm circumferences, and triceps skinfold thickness were measured. Body mass index (BMI), arm fat area (AFA) and arm muscle area (AMA) were calculated. Results: Among 1430 individuals (58.3% females) aged 17-68 years, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat, BMI, AFA and waist circumference (WC) increased with age, and were highest in the Maasai and in the urban population. AMA was only higher with increasing age among males. The prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25) (39.8% vs. 15.8%) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (15.5% vs. 5.1%) was highest in the urban vs. rural population. Conclusion: Abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness was higher with urban residency. A high prevalence of overweight and obesity was found. The Maasai had the highest overall fat accumulation.
AB - Background: Obesity is increasing rapidly in Africa, and may not be associated with the same changes in body composition among different ethnic groups in Africa. Objective: To assess abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness, prevalence of obesity, and differences in body composition in rural and urban Kenya. Subjects and methods: In a cross-sectional study carried out among Luo, Kamba and Maasai in rural and urban Kenya, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thicknesses were measured by ultrasonography. Height and weight, waist, mid-upper arm circumferences, and triceps skinfold thickness were measured. Body mass index (BMI), arm fat area (AFA) and arm muscle area (AMA) were calculated. Results: Among 1430 individuals (58.3% females) aged 17-68 years, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat, BMI, AFA and waist circumference (WC) increased with age, and were highest in the Maasai and in the urban population. AMA was only higher with increasing age among males. The prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25) (39.8% vs. 15.8%) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (15.5% vs. 5.1%) was highest in the urban vs. rural population. Conclusion: Abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness was higher with urban residency. A high prevalence of overweight and obesity was found. The Maasai had the highest overall fat accumulation.
KW - health, nutrition and quality of life
U2 - 10.1080/03014460801949870
DO - 10.1080/03014460801949870
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0301-4460
VL - 35
SP - 232
EP - 249
JO - Annals of Human Biology
JF - Annals of Human Biology
IS - 2
ER -