Prevalence and factors associated with obesity in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2022 NCD STEPS Survey.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Nationally representative cross-sectional survey
PubMed 41961778 · doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0004736
What was done
The study analyzed data from the 2022 Rwanda NCD STEPS Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional study of 5,509 adults aged 18-69 years. Following the WHO STEPwise approach, data collection included structured questionnaires, physical measurements, and biochemical tests. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater. Poisson regression with robust standard errors estimated crude, age- and sex-adjusted, and fully adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for demographic, behavioral, and metabolic factors.
What was found
The overall prevalence of obesity was 4.3% (95% CI: 3.7-5.1%). Obesity was significantly higher among women (APR: 4.2, 95% CI: 2.1-8.5), adults aged 60-69 years (APR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.03-6.9), individuals with primary education (APR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.02-3.0), and individuals with hypertension (APR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.5). Obesity prevalence was lower among rural residents compared to urban residents (APR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.20-0.50), individuals earning less than USD 33/month (APR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9), past drinkers (APR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9), and non-heavy drinkers (APR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9) compared to non-drinkers.
Why it matters
This study provides national baseline data on obesity in Rwanda, identifying higher-risk demographics—such as urban women and hypertensive individuals—to inform targeted public health interventions.
Limits
The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or temporal direction. Data were limited to adults aged 18-69 years, excluding older age groups, and behavioral measures such as income and alcohol consumption relied on self-report.
Cited by
- contradicts Rural populations in specific regions of Rwanda and Kenya consume at least 65% of their total dietary calories from carbohydrates and exhibit virtually no overweight or obesity.