Generalized And Abdominal Obesity; The Association With Hypertension Among Men In Ikeja, Lagos State

Abstract

Background: Obesity is an increasing problem in the developing world, with more than 115 million people suffering from obesity-related problems. Abdominal obesity and increased body mass index are known to be associated with hypertension⁵, an important public health problem worldwide and the most widely recognized modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and end-stage renal disease.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional communitybased study involving three hundred apparently healthy men aged 20 years and above to determine the prevalence of generalized and abdominal obesity and their association with hypertension
Results: The prevalence of abdominal and generalised obesity was 16.7% and 12.7% respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 46.7%. Abdominal obesity (measured as waist circumference ≥ 120) had a stronger association with hypertension than generalized obesity(measured as BMI ≥30 kg/m2).
Conclusion: The prevalence of generalized and abdominal obesity among urban men is high. Abdominal obesity is strongly associated with hypertension. The need for public health actions to reverse this trend cannot be over emphasized.

Keywords: Abodominal obesity, Generalized Obesity, Hypertension, Men, Urban