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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196477
Title: OBESITY AND RELATED METABOLIC DISORDERS ARE PREVALENT IN MOROCCAN WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE

Author
item BELAHSEN, REKIA - CHOUAIB DOUKKALI UNIV, MO
item Bermudez, Odillia
item MOHAMED, MZIWIRA - CHOUAIB DOUKKALI UNIV, MO
item FATIMA, FERTAT - CHOUAIB DOUKKALI UNIV, MO
item NEWBY, P KRISTIN - TUFTS/HNRCA
item Tucker, Katherine

Submitted to: International Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2005
Publication Date: 12/1/2005
Citation: Belahsen, R., Bermudez, O.I., Mohamed, M., Fatima, F., Newby, P., Tucker, K.L. 2005. Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders are Prevalent in Moroccan Women of Childbearing Age. International Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism. 13(3):159-166.

Interpretive Summary: Obesity is a major public health problem in developed countries. It is also rapidly becoming a problem in developing countries, such as Morocco, that are undergoing the nutrition transition due to changes in diet and physical activity. Obesity is associated with hypertension and a cluster of metabolic disturbances, termed the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, that includes hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia and type2 diabetes. Because there are few data on the prevalence of obesity and its co-morbidities in the Moroccan population, we examined data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 1995 on 1212 women 15-49 years old, sampled from urban and rural areas of El Jadida, a province of Morocco. We measured Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), insulin and glucose in a sub-sample of 534 women. Age, socioeconomic status (SES), fasting plasma insulin, and blood pressure were each associated with obesity (BMI > 30) or central obesity (WC > 88 cm). Several risk factors for the metabolic syndrome (high glucose, insulin, TG, CHOL, BP and WC) were prevalent in association with high BMI and WC. Among obese women, more than 70% had the metabolic syndrome, compared to approximately 45% of overweight women and 30% of normal weight women. Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increased with SES and was higher in urban compared to rural area of residence. The results of this study confirm that BMI and WC are associated with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and high fasting plasma insulin. These results support the need for the development of a strategy to prevent and manage hypertension and hyperinsulinemia among Moroccan women. In addition, differences in prevalence of metabolic syndrome across several socio-demographic characteristics suggest the need for targeted strategies to slow the trend toward increasing obesity and associated health risks.

Technical Abstract: Obesity is associated with hypertension and a cluster of metabolic disturbances that mediates the development and progression of chronic disease. The aim of this paper was to study the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) distribution of Moroccan women of child-bearing age and to examine their relationship with obesity-related conditions. We examined data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 1995 on 1212 women 15-49 years old, sampled from urban and rural areas of El Jadida, a province of Morocco. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were measured and BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m)^2. Fasting plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), insulin and glucose were collected in a sub-sample of 534 women. Age, socioeconomic status (SES), fasting plasma insulin, and blood pressure were each associated with obesity (BMI > 30) or central obesity (WC > 88 cm). Several risk factors for the metabolic syndrome (high glucose, insulin, TG, CHOL, BP and WC) were prevalent in association with high BMI and WC. Among obese women, more than 70% had the metabolic syndrome, compared to approximately 45% of overweight women and 30% of normal weight women (P < 0.0001). Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increased with SES (P = 0.01) and was higher in urban compared to rural area of residence (P = 0.006). The development of viable strategies for prevention of insulin resistance and obesity is a pressing priority.