Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity and Hypertension among Two Tribal Communities of Manipur

Abstract

The present cross sectional study was carried out among 368 adults in which 168 and 200 are from Chothe and Vaiphei respectively, aged 18-80 years. Subjects were randomly chosen from four (4) Chothe and Vaiphei inhabited villages of Chandel and Kangpokpi districts, Manipur. Anthropometric measurements that is, body height, weight, hip and waist girths were measured from the subjects. Body mass index (BMI) and Waist hip ratio (WHR) of each subject were computed. Blood pressure (BP) was measured and classified as per WHO (1999). Mean values of  anthropometric parameters and blood pressure indicate that the highest in waist girth, systolic and diastolic pressure and the second highest in height, weight and hip girth are represented by the Chothe men, while the Vaiphei men have the highest in body height and weight. Chothe and Vaiphei women have almost the same mean value of hip girth. It is also observed that more men are in the overweight than women except for Vaiphei women, while more women are in the obese criteria as compared with men, Less than 50% men and women are for overweight and obese criteria as per BMI, but higher among the Chothe and Vaiphei women (49.5% and 37.89%) as compared with men (45.5% and 36.19%). While using WHR cut off, the percentages increase among the Chothes, than using BMI levels with higher number of women (87.91%) than males (51.95%), however, among the Vaipheis, percentages decrease in using WHR cut off values. The prevalence of various grades of hypertension among the Chothes is found to be 62.34% for men and 34.16% for women. As for the Vaipheis, total of 42.86% and 11.58% are for men and women respectively who have suffered from different forms of systolic and diastolic pressures. Hence, higher percentage of Chothe adults are prone to hypertension than the Vaipheis, moreover, more men have hypertension problem as compared with women.