Trends in overweight and obesity among reproductive-age women in sub-Saharan African countries from 1990 to 2030: Progress towards 2030 SDG nutrition targets
Amare Abera Tareke, Anissa Mohammed, Y. Ali, Amare Muche
Abstract
Objective We aimed to determine the trends of overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age (WRA) in sub-Saharan countries from 1990 to 2030. We also calculated the likelihood of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this region. Study design Repeated cross-sectional study. Methods The study employed 122 nationally representative cross-sectional survey datasets from 32 countries within sub-Saharan Africa. A Bayesian linear regression model was employed to determine overweight and obesity estimates, complete with 95 % credible intervals, based on data from 769,724 women. Results Twenty-eight countries (87.5 %) showed an increasing trend compared with the 1990 overweight value. Only four countries (Burundi, Congo, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone) showed a decreasing trend. In all countries except Lesotho, the proportion of overweight has increased since 2015. From 2024 to 2030, no country is expected to experience a decline in overweight prevalence. Of the 32 countries, 31 (96.88 %) have an increasing obesity rate. Only Sierra Leone shows a decreasing trend from 1990 to 2024. The prevalence of obesity has increased in all 32 countries since the start of the SDGs. No country is on track to meet the SDG target of eliminating all forms of malnutrition related overweight and obesity by 2030. Conclusions The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among WRA in SSA is a significant concern. Aggressive interventions are required to address this problem. New initiatives beyond the SDG era may also be needed to prevent the ongoing surge.