Abstract
Introduction
Worldwide, obesity is a health concern worldwide. Obesity may be general or abdominal. Abdominal obesity is indicated by a waist circumference of at least or greatr than 90 cm for men and at least or greater than 80 cm for women, and/or a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) > 0.9 for men and > 0.8 for women. A person with abdominal obesity may develop insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. Recent studies suggest that dietary diversity may prevent cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Knowledge of nutritional labels use may reduce the incidence of chronic illnesses and abdominal obesity. In Cambodia, thear are few studies on the prevalence of abdominal obesity, knowledge of nutritional labels, and dietary variety. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of abdominal obesity and its risk factors, knowledge of nutritional label use, and dietary diversity of the staff working in a public university in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Methods
This cross-sectional study collected primary data at the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, between August 15-18, 2023. The study measured abdominal obesity, its risk factors, knowledge of nutritional label use, and dietary diversity. We used proportional random sampling to recruit 109 adults aged 18–64 years. The multivariate analysis explored the independent associations between abdominal obesity and its factors, including the knowledge of nutritional label use and the dietary diversity score.
Results
The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 17.4% (95% CI: 11.0 – 26.0). After adjusting for other covariates factors, we found the older age group (45-59 years) had a significantly greater risk of developing abdominal obesity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.1, 95% CI: 1.1- 44.8). The knowledge score of nutritional labels use was 49.5% while dietary diversity scores were about 97% among participants. Those with two to four negative lifestyle factors had 1.2 times higher odds of having abdominal obesity than those with one lifestyle risk factor (AOR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.4–3.7). Those with poor knowledge of nutritional labels use had of label usea slightly increased risk compared to those with non-poor knowledge of label use [AOR] = 1.2 (95% CI: 0.4–3.7). Nevertheless, the associations were not statistically significant.
Conclusion
The current study revealed that one in five working staff members at the University of Health Sciences had abdominal obesity, almost half of workers used nutritional label knowledge, and over ninety percent of them had high dietary diversity scores. Abdominal obesity is linked to age. This study suggested that Institutioal Directors and the Head of Public Health-Related Sectors should encourage their employees to check their waist circumference regularly especially older people (> 45-year-old), provide them with a nutritional refresher course on how to read nutrition labels before consumption, and provide a healthy canteen inside the institution. These measures can help reduce the prevalence of abdominal obesity among the staff and promote healthier eating habits. Additionally, promoting physical activity and regular exercise can also be beneficial for preventing and managing abdominal obesity.