Zeitschrift für Adipositas- und Gewichtsverlusttherapie

Abstrakt

Exploring Obesity and Blood Lipids Levels in Farmers in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State of Nigeria

Birabi BN, Nnamdi-Eze A and Monye NC

Objective: The assumption about the healthy farmer has been explored in most developed countries and criticisms abound on environments such as the farm place encouraging excessive food intake and mechanization discouraging physical activities which encourages healthy lifestyle. This study sought to explore obesity and blood lipids abnormalities of farmers in a farm settlement in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Method: Data for determining Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Body Fat (%BF) were gathered and laboratory investigations of levels of blood lipids were carried out on 58 farmers. Results: Data was fed into SPSS version 20 for descriptive statistics and frequency distribution. 33(56.9%) were females and 25(43.1%) males. Mean BMI was 21.67 ± 3.22, only 1(3%) of the females was overweight: 6(24%) and 1(4%) of the males were overweight and obese respectively. Mean %BF was 19.14 ± 6.49, only 1(3%) of the females was obese while 1(4%) and 3(12%) of the males were obese and overweight respectively. 21 females and 15 males accepted for their blood samples to be taken. Mean LDL-C was 3.04 ± 0.89, 16(76%) of the females tested fell in the “favourable prognosis”; 4(19.04%) and 1(4.76%) fell in the “Standard Risk” and “Increased Risk” categories respectively, while 13(86.67%) and 2(13.33%) of the males fell into the “favourable prognosis” and “Standard Risk” categories respectively. Mean HCL-C was 0.86 ± 0.35, 17(80.95%) and 4(19.05%) of the females fell into “Increased Risk” and “Favourable” categories respectively while 9(60%) and 5(33.30%) of the males fell in the “Increased Risk” and “Standard Risk” categories respectively. Mean TC was 4.35 ± 0.90, 16(76.19%) and 5(23.81%) of the females fell in the “favourable prognosis” and “Standard Risk” categories respectively while 14(93.33%) and 1(6.67%) of the males fell in the “favourable prognosis” and “Standard Risk” categories respectively. Mean TG: 1.01 ± 0.61, 18(85.7%) of the females had < 1.71 mml/l which is favourable, 2(9.5%) had suspected risk and 1(4.8%) had “Increased Risk” while 12(80%) of the males had < 1.71 mml/l; 2(13.33%) and 1(6.67%) “Increased Risk” and “suspected risk”.

Conclusion: Farmers in this part of Nigeria are predominantly within healthy weight range and “favourable” blood lipids levels except for HDL-C for which they had increased risk and standard risk levels.