Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the indigenous population of the municipality of Oxchuc, Chiapas, Mexico
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31644/AMU.V04.N02.2025.A09Keywords:
BMI, Overweight, Obesity, Abdominal obesity, Indigenous population, Non-communicable diseasesAbstract
Introduction: Overweight and obesity represent major public health problems worldwide, with significant impacts on vulnerable populations such as indigenous communities.
Objective: To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in an indigenous population from the municipality of Oxchuc, Chiapas, Mexico.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who sought medical care at the community basic hospital of Oxchuc, Chiapas, Mexico. A previously validated epidemiological survey was administered. Data were analyzed from a nonprobabilistic sample of 105 individuals of both sexes. Overweight and obesity were determined using the Body Mass Index (BMI), and abdominal obesity was assessed through waist circumference (WC) according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Mexican Official Standard (NOM). Contingency tables were constructed to compare BMI by sex.
Results: Sixty percent of participants were women aged 18 to 30 years, and more than 80% were unable to read and write. The prevalence of overweight was 62.9%, higher among women. Obesity prevalence was 22.8%, predominantly in men, with a statistically significant association. Abdominal obesity showed an overall prevalence of 53.2%, with 20.9% in men and 32.3% in women.
Conclusions: Overweight was more prevalent among women, exceeding 60%, whereas obesity was more frequent in men, reaching 22.8%, a statistically significant difference. Additionally, abdominal obesity showed a general prevalence of 53.2%, with higher values in women.
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