scholarly journals Prevalence of Underweight, Overweight and Obesity among Adults in Urban Bissau, Western Africa

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4199
Author(s):  
Ruben Turé ◽  
Albertino Damasceno ◽  
Mouhammed Djicó ◽  
Nuno Lunet

Overweight and obesity affect a large proportion of the population and are important causes of death in both developed and low- and middle-income countries. In Guinea-Bissau, there are no previous population-based studies assessing this phenomenon. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among adults in Bissau. A stratified and cluster sample of 935 adults was assembled in 2021 and was evaluated using standardized questionnaires and anthropometric measurements, following the World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance. Underweight, obesity, and overweight were defined by body mass index based on the World Health Organization definitions. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 48.7% among women and 25.0% among men. The proportion of women with abdominal obesity was 14 times higher than it was in men (35.3% vs. 2.5%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased with age and income. Underweight was more prevalent in the age group of 18 to 24 years (18.4% in women and 28.9% in men) and was less frequent among individuals with higher socioeconomic status. In conclusion, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is similar to the trends that are observed in many other urbanized populations in Africa and is already a major public health issue in urban Guinea-Bissau.

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Breda ◽  
Jo Jewell ◽  
Amélie Keller

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a reduced intake of free sugars throughout the life course (strong recommendation) with a reduction of free sugars intake to less than 10% of the total energy intake (strong recommendation) and preferably below 5% of the total energy intake (conditional recommendation) in both adults and children. Available data clearly show that people already consume significantly more sugar than they should, increasing the risk for dental caries, overweight and obesity. The WHO recommendations are intended for use by the policy makers as a benchmark for assessing intake of sugars by populations and as a driving force for policy change. To create a favorable environment, enabling the overall amount of free sugar intake to be as low as possible and to reduce the frequency of consumption of sugar-rich foods, a range of public health interventions is advised.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 996-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Frey ◽  
James Zamora

Background: It is believed that obese individuals may have an increased number of foot and ankle problems. The World Health Organization recommends a standard classification of adult overweight and obesity using the following body mass index (BMI) calculations: a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg per m 2 is defined as overweight; a BMI of 30.0 kg per m 2 or more is defined as obesity. The purpose of this paper was to report a survey of 1411 patients in an orthopaedic foot and ankle practice and compare the incidence of orthopaedic foot and ankle complaints with the BMI. Method: One thousand four hundred and eleven adults, including 887(62.4%) women and 535(37.6%) men, were evaluated in this study. The BMI was calculated for each subject using the standards of the World Health Organization. The subjects were divided into two groups: normal and overweight. The normal weight subjects had a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 ( n = 684; 48.1%) and the overweight or obese group had a BMI greater than or equal to 25 ( n = 738; 51.9%). Results: In this study, being overweight or obese significantly increased the chances of having tendinitis in general. If the subjects were overweight or obese, there was an increased likelihood, although not significant, of plantar fasciitis and osteoarthritis. If the individuals were of normal weight, there was an increased likelihood of hallux valgus. Conclusions: Tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis usually are secondary to overuse and increased stress on the soft tissues and joints, which may be directly related to increased weight on these structures.


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Vieira

Semen analysis is of paramount importance to study potential male fertility, couple's infertility, the effects of gonadotoxic agents on spermatogenesis and as follow-up test during treatment of male infertility. Since 1987, the World Health Organization proposes the standardization of this test and its reference values based on population-based data. The latest version of the World Health Organization guidelines was published in 2010. It introduced a new methodology that produced new references values, which triggered a discussion that lies inconclusive. We revised the original World Health Organization paper focusing on methodological changes and its results, the new references values and their impact on clinical practice.


2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 1015-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L D Izotova

The aim of work was to compile information on current international approaches to children and adolescents physical development assessment. Physical development is an important health indicator of children and adolescents, which reflects individual sexual and constitutional features, different climatic and socio-economic living conditions. Currently different of methods are used to assess children physical development. In 2006, the World Health Organization introduced a reference growth rates of children under 5 years («Child Growth Standards for children»), which show how children should grow while ensuring proper care, feeding and healthy environment. These standards make it possible to assess the physical development of children all over the world, regardless of ethnicity, feeding type and socioeconomic status. «WHO Growth Reference 2007» standards are developed for children from 5 to 19 years. It is recommended to evaluate nutritional status from 2 years of age by calculating the body mass index standard deviation score (SDS) on the standard for the corresponding age and sex. The program for personal computers «WHO Anthro» was developed for individual assessment of children under 5 years anthropometric indicators using both parametric (sigma - Z-score determination) and nonparametric (centile - percentile determination) methods, and the program «WHO AnthroPLUS» - for children and adolescents over 5 years. The programs allow to asses physical development easily and conveniently in practical application and to visualize the results. The World Health Organization international reference standards allow to evaluate physical development pathology, including nutritional status, according to international criteria for malnutrition, overweight and obesity, short and tall stature diagnosis. Adoption of the World Health Organization standards unifies the methodology for assessing the children and adolescents physical development, will make comparable the results obtained at different time, in different countries and regions of the world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3565
Author(s):  
Steven Ascoët ◽  
Michel De Waard

It is now more than a century since Albert Calmette from the Institut Pasteur changed the world of envenomation by demonstrating that antibodies raised against animal venoms have the ability to treat human victims of previously fatal bites or stings. Moreover, the research initiated at that time effectively launched the discipline of toxicology, first leading to the search for toxic venom components, followed by the demonstration of venoms that also contained compounds of therapeutic value. Interest from pharmaceutical companies to treat envenomation is, however, declining, mainly for economic reasons, and hence, the World Health Organization has reclassified this public health issue to be a highest priority concern. While the production, storage, and safety of antivenom sera suffer from major inconveniences, alternative chemical and technological approaches to the problem of envenomation need to be considered that bypass the use of antibodies for toxin neutralization. Herein, we review an emerging strategy that relies on the use of aptamers and discuss how close—or otherwise—we are to finding a viable alternative to the use of antibodies for the therapy of human envenomation.


Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 556
Author(s):  
Gina Maki ◽  
Ingrid Smith ◽  
Sarah Paulin ◽  
Linda Kaljee ◽  
Watipaso Kasambara ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has emerged as a systematic approach to optimize antimicrobial use and reduce antimicrobial resistance. To support the implementation of AMS programs, the World Health Organization developed a draft toolkit for health care facility AMS programs in low- and middle-income countries. A feasibility study was conducted in Bhutan, the Federated States of Micronesia, Malawi, and Nepal to obtain local input on toolkit content and implementation of AMS programs. This descriptive qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with national- and facility-level stakeholders. Respondents identified AMS as a priority and perceived the draft toolkit as a much-needed document to further AMS program implementation. Facilitators for implementing AMS included strong national and facility leadership and clinical staff engagement. Barriers included lack of human and financial resources, inadequate regulations for prescription antibiotic sales, and insufficient AMS training. Action items for AMS implementation included improved laboratory surveillance, establishment of a stepwise approach for implementation, and mechanisms for reporting and feedback. Recommendations to improve the AMS toolkit’s content included additional guidance on defining the responsibilities of the committees and how to prioritize AMS programming based on local context. The AMS toolkit was perceived to be an important asset as countries and health care facilities move forward to implement AMS programs.


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