Background
Methods
Study design
Measures
Anthropometric measurements and definitions of overweight and obesity
Dietary assessment
Indicators of socioeconomic status
Statistical methods
Results
Study sample
Variable | Men (n = 1222) | Women (n = 1386) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) ≥20 | |||||
Socio-demographic characteristics
| |||||
%
|
n
|
%
|
n
|
P-Value*
| |
Governorates
| |||||
Capital (Beirut) | 12.6 | 159 | 9.2 | 128 | .002 |
Other | 87.4 | 1062 | 90.8 | 1258 | |
Marital status
| |||||
Single | 38.6 | 471 | 25.3 | 351 | .000 |
Married | 58.1 | 709 | 62.5 | 865 | |
Divorced, separated, widowed | 3.4 | 41 | 12.2 | 169 | |
Educational
| |||||
Preliminary or less | 22.0 | 269 | 20.6 | 286 | .612 |
Complimentary | 25.3 | 309 | 24.3 | 336 | |
High school/Diploma | 24.1 | 295 | 26.0 | 360 | |
University | 28.6 | 349 | 29.1 | 404 | |
Household assets
| |||||
<7 items | 44.8 | 544 | 57.5 | 792 | .000 |
≥ = 7 items | 55.2 | 669 | 42.5 | 585 | |
Crowding index
| |||||
CI < 1 person/room | 39.5 | 481 | 35.7 | 492 | .042 |
CI ≥ 1 person/room | 60.5 | 736 | 64.3 | 888 | |
Family history of obesity
| |||||
No | 61.9 | 757 | 54.2 | 746 | .000 |
Yes | 38.1 | 463 | 45.8 | 636 | |
Lifestyle characteristics
| |||||
%
|
n
|
%
|
n
|
P-Value*
| |
Smoking
| |||||
No | 31.5 | 385 | 49.9 | 692 | .000 |
Yes | 68.5 | 837 | 50.1 | 694 | |
Physical activity
| |||||
Low | 48.0 | 570 | 43.4 | 591 | .009 |
Moderate | 28.5 | 338 | 34.0 | 463 | |
High | 23.5 | 279 | 22.6 | 307 | |
Meals pattern
| |||||
Skips 1 or more meals a day | 49.5 | 604 | 56.2 | 778 | .000 |
Eats regular 3 meals a day | 50.5 | 615 | 43.8 | 606 | |
Anthropometric characteristics
| |||||
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
P-Value*
| |
Weight (kg)
| 82.5 | 15.5 | 68.5 | 14.2 | .000 |
Height (cm)
| 173.1 | 7.4 | 159.2 | 6.4 | .000 |
BMI (Kg/m
2
)
| 27.5 | 4.7 | 27.1 | 5.8 | .048 |
Waist circumference (cm)
| 94.9 | 12.9 | 86.5 | 14.3 | .000 |
% Body fat
| 26.4 | 6.8 | 35.6 | 6.3 | .000 |
Dietary characteristics
| |||||
(n = 1193)
| (n = 1347) | ||||
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
P-Value*
| |
Energy (Kjoules)
| 10273 | 5603 | 7024 | 3660 | .000 |
% Fat | 36.8 | 10.1 | 37.5 | 11.1 | .000 |
% Protein | 14.8 | 5.0 | 14.5 | 5.2 | .000 |
% Carbohydrate | 48.2 | 11.4 | 49.2 | 11.8 | .000 |
Age groups (years) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70+ | Total | |
n = 750 | n = 630 | n = 495 | n = 310 | n = 230 | n = 193 | n = 2608 | |
Obese (BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m
2
)
| |||||||
Men | 16.8 | 23.5 | 31.7 | 38.2 | 32.4 | 33.0 | 26.4 |
Women | 8.1 | 21.0 | 28.7 | 48.7 | 45.7 | 52.4 | 25.9 |
Both genders | 12.1 | 22.1 | 30.0 | 43.5 | 39.7 | 41.3 | 26.1 |
Class I obesity (BMI 30.0 to 34.9 Kg/m
2
)
| |||||||
Men | 13.4 | 17.4 | 24.8 | 28.9 | 28.8 | 30.0 | 21.1 |
Women | 6.9 | 16.0 | 15.2 | 26.6 | 27.8 | 27.7 | 16.2 |
Both genders | 10.0 | 16.7 | 19.4 | 27.7 | 28.3 | 29.0 | 18.5 |
Class II obesity (BMI 35.0 to 39.9 Kg/m
2
)
| |||||||
Men | 2.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 9.2 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
Women | 1.3 | 3.7 | 8.3 | 16.5 | 12.7 | 15.7 | 6.9 |
Both genders | 1.9 | 3.8 | 6.5 | 12.9 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 5.6 |
Class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40 Kg/m
2
)
| |||||||
Men | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
Women | 0.5 | 1.7 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 9.6 | 3.4 |
Both genders | 0.8 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
Correlates of obesity
Variable (Reference category) | Men | Women | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Age groups | Age groups | |||
20 to 59 years (n = 742) | ≥60 years (n = 169) | 20 to 59 years (n = 871) | ≥60 years (n = 156) | |
OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | |
Age (years)
| ||||
20 to 29 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
30 to 44 | 0.80 (0.47, 1.36) | 4.25* (2.24, 8.05) | ||
45 to 59 | 1.98* (1.21, 3.52) | 12.05* (6.18, 23.49) | ||
60 to 69 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
≥70 | 1.38 (0.63, 3.01) | 1.09 (0.48, 2.43) | ||
Marital status
| ||||
Never married | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Ever married | 2.32* (1.46, 3.71) | 3.05 (0.90, 10.35) | 1.20 (0.74, 1.93) | 0.88 (0.40, 1.92) |
Education
| ||||
Elementary & lower | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Intermediate & higher | 1.01 (0.61, 1.68) | 0.59 (0.27, 1.29) | 0.54* (0.32, 0.91) | 0.87 (0.38, 2.02) |
Household assets
| ||||
<7 items | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
≥7 items | 1.44 (0.98, 2.11) | 1.65 (0.70, 3.92) | 0.87 (0.57, 1.33) | 0.26* (0.10, 0.72) |
Crowding index
| ||||
≥1 person/room | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
<1 person/room | 1.14 (0.77, 1.66) | 1.57 (0.70, 3.52) | 0.62* (0.39, 0.98) | 0.63 (0.29, 1.37) |
Physical activity
| ||||
Low | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Moderate-high | 0.92 (0.65, 1.31) | 1.17 (0.56, 2.44) | 0.66* (0.44, 0.99) | 0.38* (0.18, 0.80) |
Smoking
| ||||
No | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
Yes | 0.89 (0.61, 1.30) | 0.64 (0.30, 1.36) | 1.21 (0.82, 1.79) | 0.57 (0.26, 1.21) |
Family history of obesity
| ||||
No | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Yes | 1.66* (1.16, 2.37) | 2.44* (1.15, 5.18) | 2.77* (1.86, 4.13) | 4.13* (1.84, 9.27) |
Meals pattern
| ||||
Skips one or more meals | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Eats 3 regular meals | 0.68* (0.48, 0.98) | 1.80 (0.76, 4.24) | 0.67 (0.45, 1.01) | 0.62 (0.28, 1.36) |
Food energy (KJ)
| ||||
<8368 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
8368-11297 | 1.08 (0.69, 1.70) | 1.64* (1.02, 2.62) | ||
>11297 | 1.56* (1.01, 2.44) | 2.03* (1.24, 3.34) | ||
Food energy (KJ)
| ||||
<6694 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
6694- 9205 | 1.23 (0.49, 3.06) | 1.01 (0.37, 2.77) | ||
>9205 | 0.93 (0.35 to 2.46) | 0.82 (0.33, 2.04) | ||
% Food energy from fat
| ||||
<32% | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
32-42% | 1.06 (0.68, 1.63) | 0.81 (0.32, 2.03) | 1.17 (0.72, 1.90) | 0.87 (0.36, 2.12) |
>42% | 1.24 (0.77, 1.96) | 0.84 (0.32, 2.24) | 1.16 (0.70, 1.91) | 0.99 (0.29, 1.37) |