Income and obesity in an urban poor community: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Global obesity trends show income-obesity association reversal between low- and high-income countries.
• In Malaysia, a concerning trend of increasing obesity with rising income within the low-income (B40) group was noted but not fully explored.
• This study addresses the gap by investigating income and sociodemographic factors linked to obesity in an urban Malaysian low-income community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between income and obesity among residents in the B40 income group in an urban Malaysian community.
• To identify other sociodemographic predictors of obesity within this specific population.
• To compare the obesity prevalence in this urban poor community with national statistics.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study conducted in a Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Systematic sampling recruited 341 participants, with data collected via face-to-face interviews and physical measurements (height, weight).
• Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and categorized; statistical analyses included chi-squared tests and generalized linear models.

Main Results:

• The study found a high obesity prevalence of 39.6% in the urban poor community, significantly exceeding the national average of 30.6%.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) showed a significant inverse association with average monthly household income (p=0.046).
• Underweight, normal weight, and overweight proportions were 7.3%, 27.6%, and 25.5%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of obesity is significantly higher in this urban poor Malaysian community compared to the national average.
• Contrary to typical high-income country trends, lower income was associated with higher BMI in this low-income urban population.
• Income emerges as a key sociodemographic factor influencing obesity risk within Malaysia's B40 income group.