Prevalence and factors associated with abdominal and total obesity among low-income urban population of Kiambu County, Kenya

Obesity is a major risk factor for most non-communicable diseases whose burden has been rising rapidly in low and middle-income countries. To develop public health interventions to address the increasing burden of overweight and obesity, estimates of the prevalence and associated factors are needed in specific populations. The study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with total obesity and abdominal obesity among low-income adults in Kiambu County, Kenya. This community-based cross-sectional survey involved 1656 adults residing in Kiambu County. Multistage sampling was used in the selection of participants. Data were collected by trained community health volunteers (CHVs) in their respective sub-counties using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The CHVs also took anthropometric measurements using relevant tools and standard procedures. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the participants’ characteristics and proportions of adults with obesity. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with obesity. The mean age of participants was 40.8 (±14.3) years The overall prevalence of total obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m2) was 28.8% (95% CI, 26.6%-30.9%), with a higher prevalence observed among females [33.6% (95% CI, 31.1%-36.2%)] than males [12.5% (95% CI, 9.6%-16.3%)]. A third (33.3%) of the participants were overweight (25 < BMI < 30 kg/m2). The prevalence of abdominal obesity as measured by waist-height-ratio (WHtR) was 79.8%, by waist circumference (WC) was 74.0%. Obesity/overweight by BMI was associated with female gender, increasing age, monthly income, while abdominal obesity by WHtR/WC was associated with female gender, increasing age and cigarrete smoking. In conclusion, the prevalence of total obesity and abdominal obesity was high in the population. Public health strategies focusing on weight reduction and maintenance strategies are urgently needed among low-income adults. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research was supported by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA). CARTA is jointly led by the African Population and Health Research Center and the University of the Witwatersrand and funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (Grant No. G-19-57145), Sida (Grant No:54100113), Uppsala Monitoring Center, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and by the Wellcome Trust [reference no. 107768/Z/15/Z] and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with support from the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programme. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Institutional ethics committee approval number; JKU/IERC/02316/0652. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.