Assessment of Obesity as a Marker for Patients with Type II Diabetes in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome characterized by high blood glucose levels that is currently a worldwide health concern. The purpose of this study is to use anthropometric indicators to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Type II Diabetic Patients. Over a 20-week period, this cross-sectional study was conducted on Type II Diabetic Patients who were identified through a simple randomized sampling from the Diabetics' Clinic. This study enlisted the participation of a hundred (100) Diabetic Patients. A standardized pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect demographic information from the participants. Anthropometry measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were all taken using standardized procedures, and the body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), Body Adiposity Index (BAI), and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. In this study, 36% of patients were between the ages of 55 and 64, with 31% of the participants being female. Obesity was prevalent in 46% of the study population according to the BMI classification, 45% according to the WHR classification, 40% according to the WHtR classification, and 32% according to the BAI classification. Using BMI values, 82.6% of females were obese, compared to 17.4% of males, and 58.5% of females were overweight, compared to 41.4% of males. Stretching, swimming, and bicycling were all associated with obesity in Type II Diabetic Patients indicating X2(9) = 19.968, P < 0.018, X2(9) = 15.674, P < 0.016, X2(9) = 12.898, P < 0.045, respectively. There was an establishment of an increased prevalence of obesity and overweight among the cohort of Diabetic patients recruited for this study with the females indicating a higher prevalence than their male counterparts.