Pasquet P, Temgoua L S, Melaman-Sego F, Froment A, Rikong-Adié H
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.
Ann Hum Biol. 2003 Sep-Oct;30(5):551-62. doi: 10.1080/0301446032000112652.
The emergence of a nutrition transition in developing countries might lead to higher prevalence of obesity and related adverse health effects. In Cameroon,urbanization growth rate is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Such dramatic demographic change favours important modifications, notably in nutritional patterns.
In this paper we examine the current prevalence of overweight and obesity in Yaounde,the capital city of Cameroon and search for possible causal factors. Detrimental consequences of overweight are also discussed.
Samples of adults (519 women, 252 men) of all ages in all districts of Yaounde were subjected to anthropometric and body composition measurements, blood pressure and resting heart rate determination, and interviewer-administered questionnaires on socio-demography, smoking habits, physical activity, self-perception of body weight and health status.
In both sexes body mass index (BMI) increases with age and peaks in the years of maturity. These changes are related to changes in adiposity. Prevalence rates of overweight(BMI >or= 25) and obesity (BMI > or = 30) increase from 20 to 29 years and peak at 40-49 years in men and at 50-59 years in women before starting to decline. One woman in two is overweight and one woman in five is obese, whereas one-third of men are overweight and only 5% are obese. Obese subjects have a larger age-adjusted waist to hip ratio(WHR) than their non-overweight counterparts, attesting that fat gain is oriented towards a more abdominal fat mass distribution. The length of residence in Yaounde, increasing education level, occupation, ethnicity, physical inactivity and smoking practices appear to influence early overweight and/or obesity. No parity effect is observed in women. From the present study, it appears that obesity, and especially obesity in women, could be less benign than that described in other studies in Africa.
Research is needed in Cameroon, including aetiological and cohort studies aimed at the quantification of morbidity and mortality risks associated with overweight and obesity.
发展中国家营养转型的出现可能导致肥胖患病率上升及相关不良健康影响。在喀麦隆，城市化增长率是撒哈拉以南非洲最高的之一。这种急剧的人口变化有利于重大改变，尤其是在营养模式方面。
在本文中，我们研究了喀麦隆首都雅温得目前超重和肥胖的患病率，并寻找可能的因果因素。还讨论了超重的有害后果。
对雅温得所有地区各年龄段的成年人样本（519名女性，252名男性）进行人体测量和身体成分测量、血压和静息心率测定，并通过访谈者管理的问卷了解社会人口统计学、吸烟习惯、身体活动、体重自我认知和健康状况。
男女的体重指数（BMI）均随年龄增长而增加，并在成年期达到峰值。这些变化与肥胖程度的变化有关。超重（BMI≥25）和肥胖（BMI≥30）的患病率从20至29岁开始上升，在男性40至49岁、女性50至59岁时达到峰值，然后开始下降。每两名女性中有一名超重，每五名女性中有一名肥胖，而三分之一的男性超重，只有5%的男性肥胖。肥胖受试者的年龄调整腰臀比（WHR）比非超重同龄人更大，证明脂肪增加倾向于更多地分布在腹部脂肪量上。在雅温得的居住时间、教育水平提高、职业、种族、身体不活动和吸烟习惯似乎会影响早期超重和/或肥胖。在女性中未观察到生育影响。从本研究来看，肥胖，尤其是女性肥胖，可能不像非洲其他研究中描述的那么无害。
喀麦隆需要开展研究，包括病因学和队列研究，以量化与超重和肥胖相关的发病和死亡风险。
