Overweight and obesity among staff of University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Physical inactivity is reported among 41% of Nigerians and 73.8% of adults in Calabar have been reported to be either overweight or obese. Obesity is a chronic disorder marked by excessive generalized deposition and storage of fat in human body. It is indicated by a Body Mass Index of 30kg/m2 and above. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the staff of the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 321 staff in University of Calabar participated in this cross sectional study. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select faculties, departments, offices and respondents. Data was collected using a semi-structured and self administered questionnaire, a well calibrated weighing scale, a calculator and a checklist. Data analysis was done using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0.
Results: Of the 321 respondents, 55.1% were males and 60.0% were non-teaching. One hundred and twenty nine (40.0%) of the staff were 31-40 years. A total of 43.6% had normal weight, 35.5% were overweight while 19.6% were obese. A total of 45.1% were estimated to be physically inactive and 24.0% did not intend to begin exercises within the next six months. Majority, 91.3% of respondents were knowledgeable about overweight/obesity and 60.4% correctly mentioned at least one possible health implication of overweight/obesity but only 24.3% could define overweight and obesity based on Body Mass Index and most staff (72.0%) believed they had normal weight.
Conclusion: The percentage of those found to be either overweight or obese is remarkable and the need to educate staff of the implication and ways to avoid over-nutrition. To avoid the increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases including communicable diseases, preventive health education and regular health checks for staff are recommended.