Exploring the link between home garden use and severe obesity: insights from a nationwide survey in Tuvalu
Fecha
2023Autor
Versión
Acceso abierto / Sarbide irekia
Tipo
Artículo / Artikulua
Versión
Versión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioa
Impacto
|
10.7189/jogh.13.04097
Resumen
Background Obesity is prevalent and increasing but understudied across Pacific Islanders. Tuvalu is a South Pacific
country with a high obesity rate and faces multiple threats
of food insecurity. Home garden serves as a sustainable
food source and can be a possible intervention for the obesity pandemic in Tuvalu. This study investigated Tuvaluans’
home garden use and obesity, and explored fac ...
[++]
Background Obesity is prevalent and increasing but understudied across Pacific Islanders. Tuvalu is a South Pacific
country with a high obesity rate and faces multiple threats
of food insecurity. Home garden serves as a sustainable
food source and can be a possible intervention for the obesity pandemic in Tuvalu. This study investigated Tuvaluans’
home garden use and obesity, and explored factors associated with increased use of home gardens.
Methods We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional study
in Tuvalu during 2022. Structured questionnaires were administered during the in-person interviews, and trained
interviewers measured the height and weight of each participant. The association between home garden use, obesity and severe obesity were tested with univariate and multivariable logistic regression. We also applied overlapping
weights to balance the distribution of baseline demographic factors.
Results The average body mass index was 34.87 kilogrammes (kg)/square metre (m2
) among the study population of 1024 adults (630 from Funafuti and 394 from other islands in Tuvalu). Overall, people having home gardens
was associated lower odds for severe obesity compared to
those without a home garden in overlap weighting models
(odds ratio (OR)=0.946, 95% CI=0.897-0.997, P=0.039)
and the association was stronger in Funafuti (OR=0.927,
95% CI = 0.866-0.991, P= 0.027) than in the outlying islands (OR= 0.967, 95% CI = 0.889-1.052, P = 0.435). Furthermore, increased age was positively associated with having a home garden in Funafuti, and smoking showed an
inverse association.
Conclusions Having a home garden is associated with lower odds of severe obesity in Tuvalu, and the association is
stronger in Funafuti. Smokers are less likely to have home
gardens, and increased age is positively associated with
having home gardens. These findings promote more home
garden utilisation and provide evidence for targeted interventions in Tuvalu. [--]
Materias
Obesity,
Home garden use,
Tuvalu,
Pacific islanders
Editor
International Society of Global Health
Publicado en
Journal of Global Health, 3(2023), 1-9
Departamento
Universidad Pública de Navarra. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud /
Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa. Osasun Zientziak Saila
Versión del editor
Entidades Financiadoras
Fruit and Vegetable Production and Nutrition Enhancement Project from Taiwan International Cooperation
and Development Fund and Tuvalu government. Dr José F López-Gil is a Margarita Salas Fellow (Universidad Pública de Navarra—1225/2022).