Changes in Obesity Phenotype Distribution in Mixed-ancestry South Africans in Cape Town Between 2008/09 and 2014/16.

ABSTRACT: Background: The concept of obesity phenotypes encompasses a different approach to evaluating the relationship between obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Considering the minimal research on obesity phenotypes in Africa, we investigated these changes from 2008/09 to 2014/16 in the mixed ancestry population in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: In all, 928 (2008/09) and 1969 (2014/16) ?20 year old participants were included in two community-based cross-sectional studies. For obesity phenotype classification, a combination of body mass index (BMI) categories and prevalent cardiometabolic disease risk factors were used, with the presence of ?2 cardiometabolic abnormalities defining abnormal metabolic status. Interaction tests were used to investigate changes in their distribution across the years of study. Results: Distribution of BMI categories differed significantly between the 2 years; normal weight, overweight and obese: 27.4, 27.4, and 45.3% in 2008/09 vs. 34.2, 23.6, and 42.2% in 2014/16 (p = 0.001). There was no differential effect in the distribution of obesity phenotypes pattern across the two time-points (interaction p = 0.126). Across BMI categories, levels of cardiometabolic risk factors linearly deteriorated in both metabolically healthy and abnormal participants (all p ? 0.018 for linear trends). Findings were not sensitive to the number of metabolic abnormalities included in the definition of obesity phenotypes. Conclusions: Our study showed negligible differences in obesity phenotypes over time, but a high burden of metabolic abnormalities among normal weight participants, and a significant proportion of metabolically health obese individuals. Further investigation is needed to improve risk stratification and cost-effective identification of individuals at high risk for cardiometabolic diseases.

SUBMITTER: Davids SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6851026 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature