Obesity in adults: an emerging problem in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Title: Obesity in adults: an emerging problem in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Author(s): Cuong, T. Q.; Dibley, M. J.; Bowe, S.; Hanh, T. T. M.; Loan, T. T. H.
Abstract: Objective: To assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight among Vietnamese adults living in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Design: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in the local health stations of 30 randomly selected wards, which represent all 13 urban districts of HCMC, over a period of 2 months from March to April 2004. Subjects: A total of 1488 participants aged 20-60 years completed the interview, physical examination and venous blood collection. Measurements: Anthropometric measurements of body weight, height, waist and hip circumference were taken to construct indicators of adiposity including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and biochemical indicators of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes risk (lipid profile and fasting blood glucose) were also measured. Results: The age and sex standardized prevalence of overweight and obesity using Asian specific BMI cutoffs of 23.0 and 27.5 kg/m2 was 26.2 and 6.4%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was slightly higher in females (33.6%) than males (31.6%), and progressively increased with age. The age and sex-standardized prevalence of underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) among Vietnamese adults living in HCMC was 20.4%. The prevalence was slightly higher in males (22.0%) than in females (18.9%), and there was a much higher prevalence in all underweight categories in younger women than in men but this was reversed for older men. Conclusion: The adult population in HCMC Vietnam is in an early 'nutrition transition' with approximately equal prevalence of low and high BMI. The prevalence of overweight and obesity of Vietnamese urban adults was lower than that reported for other east and southeast Asian countries.
Publication type: Journal article
Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 61, no. 5 (May 2007), pp. 673-681
Publication year: 2007
FOR Code(s): 0908 Food Sciences; 1106 Human Movement and Sports Science
Keyword(s): Age factors; Aging; Anthropometry; Biochemistry; Blood sampling; BMI; Body height; Body Mass Index; Body weight; Cardiovascular disease; Cross-sectional studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diastolic blood pressure; Diet restriction; Glucose blood level; Health care facility; Hypertension; Lipid; Malnutrition; Middle age; Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus; Nutritional status; Obesity; Overweight; Prevalence; Reference value; Risk assessment; Sex difference; Sex factors; Southeast Asia; Systolic blood pressure; Underweight; Urban area; Urban health; Urban population; Venous blood; Vietnam; Waist circumference; Waist hip ratio
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
ISSN: 0954-3007
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602563
Additional information: Supported by the Health Consequences for Population Change Program of The Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom.
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