Predictors of High Obesity in Rural Nicaragua: A Cross-Sectional Study

Karen Herrera (), Milena Marquina de Reyes and Thankam Sunil ()
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Karen Herrera: Predicate Labs-CIES-UNAN Nicaragua, Managua 14172, Nicaragua
Milena Marquina de Reyes: The Specialized Health Research Center, Evangelical University of El Salvador, San Salvador 1101, El Salvador
Thankam Sunil: Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: Chronic disease prevalence continues to increase in low- and middle-income countries, and the countries in the Central American region are no exception. Recent reports have shown that women are particularly at higher risk for being obese or overweight in several countries in Central America, including Nicaragua. In the present study, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a sample of respondents ( n = 200) who were aged 30 years and over and living in rural communities in Nicaragua. This study’s results show that a higher percentage of the respondents reported their health as being fair or poor, and female respondents were found to have higher BMIs compared to their male counterparts ( p < 0.05). While previous studies have noted that, traditionally, the body mass index (BMI) has been the most widely used measure to assess overweight prevalence in populations and to evaluate individual health risks, this study used the waist–hip ratio to measure the prevalence of obesity in adults. In recent years, the central obesity indicators, primarily waist circumference and the waist-to-hip ratio, have been recognized as more accurate at describing body fat distribution compared to the BMI. These measures have also been found to have a stronger association with morbidity and mortality. Behavioral factors, such as vegetable consumption and hours of sleep, were found to be significant predictors of obesity/overweight among rural residents in Nicaragua. This study’s results highlight the need for targeted behavioral change interventions, including promoting the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables in the diets of rural residents.

Keywords: obesity; rural; behavioral factors; food (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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