Laboratoire de Physiologie, Pharmacologie et Pharmacopée, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Nature (UFR-SN), Université Nangui ABROGOUA, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire
The prevalence of obesity is steadily increasing and varies across studied populations. In Côte d’Ivoire, data on obesity among adults in rural areas are scarce. This study aimed to determine the anthropometric characteristics of obese individuals aged 18 to 60 years in a rural setting. A descriptive cross-sectional study with prospective data collection was conducted from April 23 to June 25, 2023. A total of 156 obese adult subjects, of melanodermic phenotype and with obesity defined by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, were recruited from two villages in the sub-prefecture of Sikensi. Measurements of age, body mass, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, and heart rate were taken at the participants’ homes. The mean age of the subjects was 38.6 ± 0.7 years. The studied obese population had a mean BMI of 35.1 ± 0.4 kg/m2 and a mean waist circumference of 104 ± 1 cm. Among the 156 subjects, 61.5% had grade 1 obesity, 23.7% had grade 2 obesity, and 14.7% had grade 3 obesity. Additionally, 66.02% of women and 28.2% of men had android obesity. The association of BMI and waist circumference indicated 61.2% with grade 1 obesity, 24.5% with grade 2, and 14.3% with grade 3. The prevalence of hypertension was 14.1% and that of tachycardia was 3.21% within the study population. This study reveals that obesity is indeed prevalent in rural areas within the two villages of Sikensi.