Prevalence of obesity among diabetics seen in a tertiary health care centre in south-south Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a leading determinant for diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity among diabetic patients seen at a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria.

Methods: A retrospective study of 244 diabetic patients seen between January 2010 and June 2012. Weight and height was obtained from hospital records and BMI calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. The presence of hypertension was also obtained at first clinic visit .

Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 48%. Female and male prevalence was 25.8% and 22.1% respectively. Obese diabetics also showed worse glycaemic control and higher blood pressure than non-obese diabetics.

Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among diabetics in this study is fairly high. It is worthwhile to target educational strategies and interventions to reduce  obesity prevalence as a cardiovascular risk.

Keywords: Obesity, prevalence, Diabetes