Body mass index and prevalence of obesity changes among Kuwaitis.

OBJECTIVES

To compare temporal changes in BMI, overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) between two periods, among adult Kuwaitis.

DESIGN

Comparison of two independent cross-sectional samples of Kuwaitis studied in 1980-81 and 1993-94.

SUBJECTS

2067 (896 men and 1171 women) and 3435 (1730 men and 1705 women) adult Kuwaitis (aged > or = 18 y), drawn from primary health care (PHC) clinics and studied for nutritional assessment and for prevalence of obesity in 1980-81 and 1993-94, respectively.

MEASUREMENTS

Weight was measured in kilograms and height in meters to obtain the body mass index (BMI), which is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (kg/m2). BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2 were classified as overweight and obesity, respectively.

RESULTS

Mean BMI (kg/m2) increased significantly (P < 0.001) by 10.0 and 6.2% (2.5 and 1.7 kg/m2) among men and women, respectively. Prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2) increased by 20.6 and 15.4% and by 13.7 and 8.4% among men and women, respectively. After controlling for sociodemographic differences between the two study periods, mean BMI was 2.0 and 1.6 kg/m2 higher in 1993-94 than in 1980-81 among men and women, respectively. Prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2) also increased among both genders between the two periods (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.7-2.7 and OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.4, for men and OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.0 and OR = 1.4, 95% CI-1.0-1.9, for women).

CONCLUSIONS

BMI, prevalence of overweight and obesity increased among Kuwaitis between 1980-81 and 1993-94, probably due to the effects of modernization, affluence, increased food consumption and the concomitant changes to sedentary lifestyles. The rate of temporal changes in BMI and obesity were higher, by comparison, in Kuwait than in selected other countries.