Socio-spatial disparities of obesity among adults in the urban setting of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Objectives: To document the prevalence and the socio-spatial variations of obesity and to identify individual and household characteristics, lifestyles and dietary practices contributing to obesity and its socio-spatial distribution. Design: Population-based cross-sectional survey. We selected 1570 households from four strata characterised as unstructured and low building-density (ULBD), unstructured and high building-density (UHBD), structured and low building-density (SLBD) and structured and high building-density (SHBD) areas. Structured areas are those that were allotted by the township authority (cadastral services), with public services; unstructured areas refer to those developed with no cadastral organisation. Setting: Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Subjects: BMI was calculated in 2022 adults aged 35 years and above who were classified as obese when their BMI was ≥30 kg/m2. Obesity was investigated in relation to household and individual characteristics, lifestyles and dietary practices; adjusted odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were derived from a logistic regression model. Results: The overall prevalence of obesity was 14.7 % (males 5.5 % and females 21.9 %). Age, gender, household equipment index, usual transport with motor vehicles and micronutrient-rich food consumption were associated with obesity. After adjustment for these factors, obesity remained associated with the area of residence: residents from SHBD areas were more likely to be obese than those from ULBD areas (OR = 1.41; 95 % CI 2.59,4.76). Conclusions: Obesity in Ouagadougou is a preoccupant problem that calls for more consideration. Thorough investigation is needed to assess the environmental factors that contribute to the socio-spatial disparity of obesity. © The Authors 2008.