Contribution of obesity in increasing type 2 diabetes prevalence in Iranian urban and rural adults during recent decade

Background and ObjectivesThe prevalence of both obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased in recent years. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes and to investigate the contribution of obesity to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in urban and rural Iranian communities.MethodsThis study was based on four surveys from the Surveillance Survey of Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases (SuRFNCD), conducted in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2016. The contribution of general and abdominal obesity to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was determined based on the population attributable fraction (PAF).ResultsThe mean (95% CI) age and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were 36.9 years (36.8–36.9) and 25.9 kg/m² (25.9–26.0), respectively. The increasing rates of general obesity and diabetes were 37% and 80% among urban residents and 63% and 68% among rural residents, respectively. The PAF of general obesity and abdominal obesity to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 20.2% and 33.4% in urban residents and 11.8% and 21.0% in rural residents, respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of both obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased over the past 12 years. Besides, general and abdominal obesity played a substantial role in increasing the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in both urban and rural populations.     

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in rural and urban Costa Rica.

BACKGROUND. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is becoming more prevalent in developing countries, particularly in the urban areas, in contrast to the CAD mortality trends observed in some industrialized nations. METHODS AND RESULTS. We determined the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, total cholesterol greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl and greater than or equal to 200 less than or equal to 239 mg/dl, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol greater than or equal to 160 mg/dl and greater than 130 less than or equal to 159 mg/dl, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol less than 35 mg/dl) in 222 men and 243 women from rural and urban areas of Puriscal, Costa Rica, using the American Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. Urban Puriscal men had a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher prevalence of borderline high-risk total cholesterol (26% versus 14%), borderline high-risk LDL cholesterol (21% versus 11%), smoking (32% versus 13%), and higher prevalence of low HDL cholesterol (34% versus 24%), hypertension (16% versus 13%), diabetes (4.5% versus 2.7%), obesity (21% versus 14%), and saturated fat intake greater than 15% of calories (14% versus 7%) than rural men from Puriscal. No significant differences between rural and urban women were found for any of the cardiovascular risk factors. Urban Puriscal residents were also more sedentary than rural Puriscal residents. CONCLUSIONS. These data indicate that modifiable risk factors are more prevalent in urban than in rural Puriscal, Costa Rica, particularly in men.     

Risk factors associated with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the adult Chinese population in Qingdao,China

Objective To investigate the major risk factors and their association with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes from 2001–2002 to 2006 in Qingdao, China. Methods Population‐based cross‐sectional studies on diabetes were performed in 4598 men and 7026 women aged 35–74 years. The 2006 World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for diabetes were used. Results The crude prevalence of diabetes was 11.3% in both men and women in urban areas and 5.3% and 8.9% in rural areas in 2001–2002. This increased to 19.2% and 16.1% in urban areas and 14.2% and 13.8% in rural areas in 2006 for men and women, respectively. The increase in diabetes prevalence from 2001–2002 to 2006 was paralleled by an increased body mass index in rural areas but not in urban areas. The major risk factors associated with diabetes were age, family history of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high triglycerides. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for diabetes corresponding to a one standard deviation increase in waist circumference was 1.81 (1.47, 2.23) in urban men, 1.64 (1.26, 2.13) in rural men, 1.98 (1.66, 2.37) in urban women and 2.02 (1.63, 2.51) in rural women. Low socio‐economic classes had a higher risk for diabetes in urban areas but a lower risk in rural areas, both associated with increased waist circumference. Conclusion Established risk factors are of great importance for the prevalence of diabetes in the urban and rural Chinese populations and changes in these factors could explain the recent dramatic increase in diabetes prevalence, particularly in rural areas. Considering the high prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity, intervention is urgently required in China.     

2007年北京市居民糖尿病与代谢综合征患病状况调查

目的 了解2007年北京市居民糖尿病与代谢综合征的患病情况.方法 采用整群随机抽样方法,于2007年9月至11月抽取本市3个地区,分别代表城市、城镇和农村地区进行调查.共有20岁以上常住居民3 484名参与调查.通过询问病史、体格检查、检测空腹血糖、血脂及口服糖耐量试验,并依据1999年WHO糖尿病诊断标准和2005年IDF代谢综合征全球共识定义进行诊断.使用EPI data 3.02软件建立数据库,SPSS 13.0软件进行统计分析.计量资料采用(-x)±s表示,两组间比较采用t检验,多组阳比较采用方差分析,计数资料比较采用卡方检验.结果 北京市居民糖尿病患病率为10.16%(城市10.97%、城镇11.95%、农村6.86%):其中已知糖尿病患病率为5.02%(城市6.14%、城镇6.62%、农村1.71%)(x2=54.06,P＜0.01);新诊断糖尿病患病率为5.14%(城市4.83%、城镇5.33%、农村5.15%)(x2=2.35,P＞0.05);空腹血糖受损患病率为1.35%(城市0.58%、城镇2.26%、农村1.43%)(x2=12.97,P＜0.01);糖耐量异常患病率为9.84%(城市10.52%、城镇9.68%、农村9.27%)(x2=3.99,P＞0.05);代谢综合征患病率为20.39%(城市17.34%、城镇23.30%、农村20.78%)(x2=35.38,P＜0.01).糖尿病患者平均知晓率为49.85%.结论 北京市糖尿病及代谢综合征患病率高,城镇和农村地区患病率呈现加速升高趋势.     

Prevalence and time trends in obesity among adult West African populations: a meta-analysis

The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of and trends in obesity in adult West African populations.
Between February and March 2007, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using four electronic databases. Journal hand searches, citations and bibliographic snowballing of relevant articles were also undertaken. To be included, studies had to be population-based, use well-defined criteria for measuring obesity, present data that allowed calculation of the prevalence of obesity and sample adult participants. Studies retrieved were critically appraised. Meta-analysis was performed using the DerSimonian-Laird random effect model.
Twenty-eight studies were included. Thirteen studies were conducted in urban settings, 13 in mixed urban/rural and one in rural setting. Mean body mass index ranged from 20.1 to 27.0 kg². Prevalence of obesity in West Africa was estimated at 10.0% (95% CI, 6.0–15.0). Women were more likely to be obese than men, odds ratios 3.16 (95% CI, 2.51–3.98) and 4.79 (95% CI, 3.30–6.95) in urban and rural areas respectively. Urban residents were more likely to be obese than rural residents, odds ratio 2.70 (95% CI, 1.76–4.15). Time trend analyses indicated that prevalence of obesity in urban West Africa more than doubled (114%) over 15 years, accounted for almost entirely in women.
Urban residents and women have particularly high risk of overweight/obesity and obesity is rising fast in women. Policymakers, politicians and health promotion experts must urgently help communities control the spread of obesity in West Africa.     

Prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and the contributing risk factors were estimated by performing a cross-sectional survey conducted earlier in the rural and urban areas of all the four provinces of Pakistan. The statistical analysis was performed from the obtained results by using SPSS version 12.0. The total number of subjects examined were 5433 which included 1893 males (1208 in rural and 685 in urban areas) and 3540 females (2243 in rural and 1297 in urban areas). The prevalence of diabetes in the urban versus the rural areas was 6.0% in men and 3.5% in women against 6.9% in men and 2.5% in women, respectively. Newly diagnosed diabetes was 5.1% in men and 6.8% in women in urban areas and 5.0% in men and 4.8% in women in rural areas. IGT in the urban versus the rural areas was 6.3% in men and 14.2% in women against 6.9% in men and 10.9% in women, respectively. Overall glucose intolerance (DM+IGT) was 22.04% in urban and 17.15% in rural areas. The major risk factors identified were age, positive family history and obesity especially central obesity.     

Difference in prevalence of diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and associated cardiovascular risk factors in a rural area of Tamil Nadu and an urban area of Delhi

This study compared difference in diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine, and other cardiovascular risk factors between rural and urban Asian Indians using similar/standardized field measurements. The design used a cross-sectional and population-based study among rural (Tamil Nadu) and urban (Delhi) Asian Indians aged 18 years and older. 574 rural Indians and 508 urban Indians completed face-to-face interviews, and anthropometric measurements. Fasting venous blood samples were obtained for fasting plasma glucose and serum lipid tests. The mean age was 42.6?±?11.8 y (urban) and 39.5?±?13.9 y (rural). Although the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was lower in rural (8.4%) than urban (13.6%) areas, rural Asian Indians had a higher percent of undiagnosed cases (25%), poorer glycemic control, and unawareness of diabetes than their urban peers. Urban Indians had elevated rates of the MetS (as defined by NCEP and IDF criteria), hs-CRP, total cholesterol, LDL, and hypertension than their rural peers. Females in general had significantly higher central obesity and lower HDL-C than males. Homocysteine levels (measured only among urban respondents) was higher among males than females (p?=?.04). Prevalence of hypertension increased with age (r?=?.37, p?<?.001) and correlated with respondents’ blood glucose levels (r?=?.11, p?<?.001). There was a step-wise worsening of risk factors as individuals progressed from normal to IFG to T2DM. High burden of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors in urban and rural Asian Indians provide basis for tailored and cost-effective prevention and intervention programs, in such resource-constrained settings.     

Prevalence of obesity among children aged 6–7 years in South-East Serbia

A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of obesity in urban and rural areas of South-East Serbia was performed on 541 children (273 boys and 268 girls), aged 6–7 years. Prevalence of obesity in urban boys and girls was 6.3% and 3.8% respectively ( P  > 0.05). Prevalence of obesity in rural boys and girls was 1.1% and 3.3% respectively ( P  > 0.05). The difference in the prevalence of obesity between urban boys and rural boys was statistically significant ( P  < 0.05), while the difference between urban and rural girls was insignificant ( P  > 0.05). Urban boys consumed more sweets and fast food compared with rural boys ( P  < 0.05). Urban children spent more time in watching TV compared with rural children ( P  < 0.05).     

Clustering of noncommunicable disease risk factors among adults (18–69 years) in rural population,South-India

Background and aimsNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) and its risk factors are increasing worldwide and in India. Controlling the rise in risk factors at present is crucial to prevent NCD surge in future. Current study was conducted to estimate the burden of clustering of NCD risk factors among adult population (18–69 years) residing in selected villages of rural Bengaluru, KarnatakaMethodsPopulation based screening for NCD risk factors were carried out among adults in rural Bengaluru during May to October 2019. NCD risk factors were screened using WHO STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance (STEPs) instrument and Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) NCD risk factor tool. Presence of three or more risk factors in same individual was considered as presence of clustering of NCD risk factors. Additional analysis was done for clustering of NCD risk factors with different number of risk factors.ResultsPrevalence of clustering of NCD risk factors in rural adult population was as follows; ≥2 risk factors 81.0%, ≥3 risk factors 56.3%, ≥4 risk factors 33.6%, ≥5 risk factors 14.5% and ≥6 risk factors 4.8%. The most common NCD risk factors were inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables (82.3%), physical inactivity (46.8%) and central obesity (46.4%). Clustering NCD risk factors were significantly associated with increased age, males and lower levels of education.ConclusionsHigh burden of clustering of risk factor indicates the need for health policies with integrated NCD risk factors prevention strategies than targeted approach. Awareness regarding the effect of clustering needs to be increased among the primary care physicians practising in rural areas.     

Effect of internal migration on diabetes and metabolic abnormalities in India - The ICMR-INDIAB study

AimsTo assess the effect of migration (rural-to-urban and vice versa) on prevalence of diabetes and metabolic disorders in Asian Indians participating in the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study.Materials and methodsThe ICMR–INDIAB study is a national study on diabetes and associated cardiometabolic disorders in individuals aged ≥20 years from 28 states and 2 union territories of India. Individuals who moved to a different place from their place of birth and had resided in the new location for at least one year were considered as migrants. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure estimation and a capillary oral glucose tolerance test were performed.ResultsOf the 113,043 participants, 66.4% were non-migrant rural dwellers, 19.4% non-migrant urban dwellers, 8.4% rural-urban migrants, 3.8% multiple migrants and 2.0% urban-rural migrants. Weighted prevalence of diabetes was highest in rural-urban migrants followed by urban dwellers, urban-rural migrants and rural dwellers [14.7%, 13.2%, 12.7% and 7.7% respectively (p < 0.001)]. Rural-urban migrants had highest prevalence of abdominal obesity (50.5%) compared to the other three groups. The risk for diabetes was 1.9 times higher in rural-urban migrants than among rural dwellers. Five risk factors [hypertension, abdominal and generalized obesity, physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake] together explained 69.8% (partial population attributable risk) of diabetes among rural-urban migrants and 66.4% among non-migrant urban dwellers.ConclusionsRural-to-urban migration is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes and other cardiometabolic abnormalities. Adoption of healthier lifestyle patterns among migrants could help prevent/delay onset of these abnormalities in this population.     

The study of diabetes prevalence and related risk factors in Fuyang,a Chinese county under rapid urbanization

The fast urbanization of China potentially affects development of diabetes. Fuyang is one of the typical cities being involved but its epidemiological characteristics of diabetes is not clear. In this study, 4131 adults in randomly selected families from all the townships and streets of Fuyang were investigated. This study showed that the standardized prevalence of diabetes was 8.10 % in Fuyang. The prevalence of prediabetes was 11.3 %. The prevalence of isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was 10.51 %. The prevalence of diabetes in urban areas was slightly higher than that of rural areas (14.3 % vs. 13.0 %). The prevalence of prediabetes in urban areas was also higher than that of rural areas (19.1 % vs. 15.6 %). Among all the patients diagnosed with diabetes, 46.02 % of them received treatment. Age, family history of diabetes, obesity, high level of triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein were risk factors of diabetes.     

The prevalence of hypertension and its relationship with obesity: results from a national blood pressure survey in Eritrea

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases has been shown to be on the increase in Africa based on hospital-based information and limited national surveys. A recent report on analysis of data from Health Information Management Systems (HIMS) highlighted an increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Eritrea, with the incidence of hypertension doubling in a space of 6 years. HMIS data are only a proxy of national prevalence rates, necessitating the conduct of national surveys. The WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of NCDs was used for the national NCD risk factor survey in 2004. This report focuses on blood pressure (BP) and obesity (body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2) as NCD risk factors in Eritrea. A total of 2352 people in age groups 15 to 64 years participated in the survey. The prevalence of hypertension defined as BP > 140/90 mmHg was 15.9% in the general population, with 16.4% in urban and 14.5% in rural areas, 17% of whom were males while 15% were females. BMI was positively associated with systolic (SBP), diastolic and mean arterial pressure. Although the prevalence of obesity (3.3%) was higher in females, the effect of BMI on BP was higher in males than in females (regression coefficient 0.64 and 0.38, respectively, P < or = 0.05), especially in those >45 years. BMI did not have a significant effect on BP in lean people (BMI < 19) and in those with high BMI, but was positively correlated to SBP in those with normal BMI (P < or = 0.02). BMI and age appear to play a synergistic role in creating a strong association with BP.     

Changing patterns of diet, physical activity and obesity among urban, rural and slum populations in north India

Rapid urbanization and accompanying lifestyle changes in India lead to transition in non-communicable disease risk factors.
A survey was done in urban, urban slum and rural population of Haryana, India, in a sample of 4129 men and 3852 women using WHO STEPS questionnaire.
A very high proportion of all the three populations reported inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. Rural men reported five times physical activity as compared with urban and urban slum men and rural women reported seven times physical activity as compared with women in the other two settings. Mean body mass index (BMI) was highest among urban men (22.8 kg m⁻²) followed by urban slum (21.0 kg m⁻²) and rural men (20.6 kg m⁻²) ( P -value < 0.01). Similar trend was seen for women but at a higher level than men. Prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg m⁻²) was highest for urban population (male = 5.5%, female = 12.6%) followed by urban slum (male = 1.9%, female = 7.2%) and rural populations (male = 1.6%, female = 3.8%).
Urbanization increases the prevalence of the studied non-communicable disease risk factors, with women showing a greater increase as compared with men. Non-communicable disease control strategy needs to address urbanization and warrants gender sensitive strategies specifically targeting women.     

东北农村糖尿病患病率、知晓率、治疗率和控制率调查及影响因素分析

目的了解我国东北农村地区35岁及以上人群糖尿病患病、知晓、治疗和控制情况以及糖尿病的影响因素,为制定农村地区糖尿病干预策略提供科学依据。方法采用整群随机抽样的方法选取吉林省2个县的35岁及以上的农村居民作为研究对象,通过问卷调查、体格检查和实验室检查来获取糖尿病及相关因素的资料。结果本研究用于糖尿病患病情况和影响因素分析的有效数据为2600人。我国东北地区35岁及以上农村居民糖尿病粗（年龄标化）患病率为7.3%（5.3%）,粗（年龄标化）知晓率、治疗率、控制率和治疗控制率分别为54.7%（44.0%）、48.9%（39.7%）、14.7%（10.0%）和30.11%（18.0%）。女性、高龄、有家族史和不饮酒人群知晓率和治疗率较高（P〈0.05）,而且治疗率还与腹型肥胖有关（P〈0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析发现年龄、家族史、是否为腹型肥胖、血脂异常和高血压患病情况等5个因素是我国东北地区35岁及以上农村居民糖尿病的影响因素（OR=1.55~5.30）。结论我国东北地区35岁及以上农村居民糖尿病患病率较高,但是知晓、治疗和控制水平较低,亟待采取有针对性的干预措施来防控糖尿病的发生和发展。     

Type 2 diabetes in rural and urban population: diverse prevalence and associated risk factors in Bangladesh.

AIMS: To describe differences in prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus with its associated risk factors between rural and urban populations in Bangladesh. Diagnostic criteria [fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT)] were compared and reviewed for both populations. METHODS: A total of 1555 subjects from urban and 4757 from rural communities (age > or = 20 years) with similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds were randomly selected in a cross-sectional survey. FBG values were determined from all and 2-h post-glucose capillary blood samples were determined after a 75-g oral glucose load for a selected number (urban 476, rural 1046). RESULTS: A higher prevalence of diabetes was found in urban (8.1%) compared with rural populations (2.3%). Age, sex and waist-to-hip ratio for men were significant risk factors for both urban and rural subjects following fasting and 2-h post-glucose values adjusted for a number of confounding variables. Poor agreement was observed between FBG and OGTT for both urban (kappa 0.41) and rural (kappa 0.40) areas. CONCLUSIONS: A higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the urban population was observed compared with rural subjects despite similar body mass indexes (BMI). Differences in obesity, waist/hip ratio or hypertension failed to explain the increasing occurrence of T2DM in the urban population.     

HIV prevalence in 72 000 urban and rural male army recruits,Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The recent estimate of around 2 million HIV-infected people in Ethiopia derives from data that are sparse, especially in the rural areas where the majority (> 85%) of the population lives. We assessed HIV prevalence in almost 72 000 army recruits who resided in urban and rural areas prior to recruitment. METHODS: Rapid HIV tests, HIVSPOT and Determine, were conducted on blood samples drawn at enrolment from almost 10 000 urban recruits, in 1999, and 62 000 rural recruits, in 2000. Socio-demographic data from recruits were available. RESULTS: In urban recruits, overall HIV prevalence was 7.2%, ranging from 4.3 to 10.5% depending on region. In rural recruits, overall HIV prevalence was 3.8%, but the majority were farmers (57%) and students (18%) with an HIV prevalence of 2.7% and 2.6%, respectively. (Higher) level of education in rural recruits was associated with HIV infection. Rural recruits of the Muslim religion were less likely to be HIV infected than recruits of the Orthodox Christian religion (odds ratio: 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.84). Urban and rural residents of Amhara region were at higher risk of HIV infection. CONCLUSION: Prevalence in both rural and urban army recruits is below previous estimates. Geographic distribution of HIV is uneven. The impact of religion, education, and region on HIV prevalence suggests avenues for targeting HIV prevention efforts in Ethiopia.     

Surveillance of Noncommunicable Diseases by Community Health Workers in Kerala: The Epidemiology of Noncommunicable Diseases in Rural Areas (ENDIRA) Study

BackgroundIndia carries the greatest burden of noncommunicable disease (NCD) globally. However, there are few contemporary, community-based studies of prevalence in India. Given the physician shortages in rural areas, large-scale, region-specific studies of NCD using community health workers (CHW) may offer a feasible means of NCD surveillance.ObjectivesThis study sought to conduct a large-scale, population-based, CHW-led study of NCDs in Kerala, India.MethodsIn rural Kerala, India, a population of 113,462 individuals was defined geographically by 5 panchayats (village councils). The ENDIRA (Epidemiology of Noncommunicable Diseases in Rural Areas) study was conducted via accredited social health activists (ASHA), who are CHW employed by Kerala state government. After training of ASHA, standardized questionnaires were used during 2012 in household interviews of individuals ≥18 years of age to gather sociodemographic, lifestyle, and medical data.ResultsASHA recruited 84,456 adults who were included in the analyses (25.4% were below the poverty line). The prevalence of NCD was comparable to contemporary studies in India: myocardial infarction (MI) 1.4%; stroke 0.3%; respiratory diseases 5.0%; and cancer 1.1%. The dietary habits were as follows: 84.1% of the population was vegetarian; 15.9% ate meat/fish ≥1 day per week; 4.2% had ≥1 alcoholic drink per week; and 8.1% smoked regularly. Compared with men, women were older, had lower body mass index, more likely to be hypertensive, less likely to smoke or drink alcohol, and have diabetes or dyslipidemia (p < 0.0001). NCD were more common in men than women: MI (1.9% vs. 0.9%); stroke (0.5% vs. 0.3%); cancer (1.2% vs. 0.9%); and respiratory diseases (5.9% vs. 4.0%) (p < 0.0001). Age ≥65 years, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, and male sex were strongly associated with MI and stroke. There were high levels of agreement between ASHA and physicians for diagnoses of MI, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes.ConclusionsCHW effectively conducted a large-scale prevalence study of NCD in Kerala, including prevalence of risk factors. In rural Kerala, traditional risk factors were strongly associated with MI and stroke.     

Body mass index and waist circumference in Mozambique: urban/rural gap during epidemiological transition

In 2005 we evaluated a nationally representative sample of the Mozambican adult population (n = 2913; 25–64 years old) following the STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance to estimate urban–rural differences in overweight and obesity and waist circumferences. The prevalences of obesity and overweight were, respectively, 6.8% (95% CI: 5.1–8.6) and 11.8% (95% CI: 8.4–15.4) among women, and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.1–3.6) and 9.4% (95% CI: 5.7–13.1) among men. Overweight/obesity was more frequent in urban settings (age‐, income‐ and education‐adjusted prevalence ratios; women, 2.76, 95% CI: 1.82–4.18; men, 1.76, 95% CI: 0.80–3.85). The average waist circumference in Mozambique was 75.2 cm (95% CI: 74.3–76.0) in women, significantly higher in urban than rural areas (age‐, income‐ and education‐adjusted β = 3.6 cm, 95% CI: 1.6–5.5) and 76.1 cm (95% CI: 75.0–77.3) in men, with no urban–rural differences (adjusted β = 1.3 cm, 95% CI: ?0.9 to 3.5). Our results show urban–rural differences, as expected in a country under epidemiological transition, with urban areas presenting a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, but age‐ and education‐specific estimates suggesting a trend towards smaller divergences. The development and implementation of strategies to manage the foreseeable obesity‐related healthcare demands are needed.     

Is China facing an obesity epidemic and the consequences? The trends in obesity and chronic disease in China

BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, China has enjoyed impressive economic development, and her citizens have experienced many remarked changes in their lifestyle. These changes are often associated with an increase in obesity and chronic disease. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, based on nationally representative data, we studied the current prevalence of obesity and the trends in obesity, mortality and morbidity in China. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 2002, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in all gender and age groups and in all geographic areas. Using the World Health Organization body mass index cut points, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 14.6 to 21.8%. The Chinese obesity standard shows an increase from 20.0 to 29.9%. The annual increase rate was highest in men aged 18-44 years and women aged 45-59 years (approximately 1.6 and 1.0% points, respectively). In general, male subjects, urban residents, and high-income groups had a greater increase. With the increase in overweight and obesity, obesity-, and diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes) also increased over the past decade and became a more important preventable cause of death. Hypertension increased from 14.4% in 1991 to 18.8% in 2002 in adults; in older adults aged 35-74 years, it increased from 19.7 to 28.6%. Between 1993 and 2003, the prevalence of CVD increased from 31.4 to 50.0%; diabetes increased from 1.9 to 5.6%. During 1990-2003, although total mortality rate (per 100 000) decreased, overall the mortality rate and contribution (as percentages) to total death of obesity-related chronic disease increased, in particular, in rural areas. Mortality rate (per 100 000) of CVD increased from 128 to 145 and its contribution to total death, 27 to 32%, in rural areas; the figures decreased slightly in urban areas. The mortality rate of 'nutrition, endocrinology and metabolism-related disease' (NEMD) increased in both rural and urban areas between 1990 and 2000, 8.0 to 10.6 and 4.9 to 5.3, respectively. The current prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes among Chinese adults is approximately 20, 20, 15, and 3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases have increased in China in the past decade. Our findings provide useful information for the projection of future trends and the formulation of national strategies and programmes that can address the challenges of the growing obesity and chronic disease epidemic.     

Seroepidemiological study of toxoplasmosis in different sections of population of Union Territory of Chandigarh

Infections with Toxoplasma gondii in humans are usually asymptomatic or in the form of mild febrile illness. Primary infection in pregnant women may result in congenital toxoplasmosis while infection in immunocompromised subjects like AIDS patients may cause potentially fatal toxoplasma encephalitis. In India, only a few studies in hospital based patients have shown prevalence of toxoplasmosis to be between 1.5 and 21%. No field study involving general population is available. The present study investigates the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in subjects from rural, urban and urban slum populations of Union Territory, Chandigarh. Serum samples from 500 subjects from each group were collected and antitoxoplasma IgM and IgG was detected by conventional micro ELISA technique using soluble Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoite antigen. Overall 5.4% subjects were positive for IgM while 4.66% showed IgG antitoxoplasma antibodies. Amongst the three groups, significantly higher number of subjects in slum area (7.8%) showed IgM antibodies as compared to urban and rural areas (4.2% each). There was no significant difference in IgG positivity between three study areas. Prevalence of T. gondii specific IgG antibodies was significantly higher amongst females of both slum (7.31%) and rural area (8.44%) as compared to the males (2.85% and 3.27% respectively) in the same areas (p<0.05) and also to females of the urban area (2.98%, p<0.05). Prevalence of IgM antibodies was significantly higher (p<0.05) in females in the slum area (10.5%) as compared to females in the urban area (2.55%). In both urban and slum areas, highest IgM seropositivity was observed in age group 6-12 years (10% and 13.3% respectively), while in the rural area the highest IgM seropositivity was seen in the age group > or = 5 years (17.7%). These data indicate that majority of children are exposed to toxoplasma before 12 years of age and particularly in rural areas higher number of subjects acquire Toxoplasma gondii infection early in childhood probably as a result of higher exposure due to farming, poor hygiene and handling of animals.