Prevalence of Central Obesity and its Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Women of Reproductive Age in Rwanda

Abstract

Central obesity is quite prevalent in women of reproductive age in Sub-Saharan Africa and has been a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. However, few studies have analyzed its association with cardiovascular risk factors among those women. This study seeks to assess the magnitude of central obesity and its association with cardiovascular risk factors among women of reproductive age in Rwanda. The study used a cross-sectional study design, which involved 138 women aged between 15 and 49 years attending selected family planning centers in Kigali. Central obesity was measured through the size of the waist circumference. The adjusted logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence intervals was used to determine the correlates of central obesity. A statistical significance was defined at a p-value <0.05. Participants’ mean age was 29.14 ± 6.72 with ages ranging between 18 and 45 years old. The prevalence of central obesity was 48.5%, and there was significantly associated with age (OR=2, 95% CI: 1.24-3.35), alcohol use (OR=5.8, 95% CI: 2.08-16.08), meat consumption (OR=5.3, 95% CI: 1.94-14.63), hypertriglyceridemia (OR= 3.87, 1.02-14.76), and elevated diastolic blood pressure (OR=6.1, 95% CI: 2.80-17.92). The prevalence of central obesity is relatively high among women of reproductive age, and it is associated with older age, elevated diastolic blood pressure, high triglycerides levels, meat, and alcohol consumption. The study recommends an intensive awareness about health risks associated with central obesity and its associated factors as a strategy to address the rising risk of cardiovascular diseases in this population.