Magnitude and correlates of overweight or obesity among adults with diabetes mellitus duration of five or more years in rural Uganda: A cross-sectional study

Background: Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for micro and macrovascular diseases, with diabetes mellitus exacerbating these burdens. We determined the prevalence of overweight or obesity and its associated factors among adults with diabetes mellitus with a duration of ≥5 years at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Southwestern Uganda. Methods: or more. We used binary logistic regression to estimate associations of a priori selected variables with the outcome. Results: Of 189 participants, 138 (73%) were female, the mean age was 61.5 ± 11.1 years, and the median duration of diabetes mellitus since diagnosis was 10 years (interquartile range, 7-15). Overall, 122 (64.5%) participants were overweight or obese. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, former cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.6), every 1-year increase in the duration of diabetes mellitus (AOR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.1), and hypertension (AOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.5) were independently associated with overweight or obesity. Conclusion: Overweight/obesity is prevalent among adults with diabetes mellitus duration of 5 years and over, in a rural Ugandan population. Former cigarette smokers have a decreased likelihood of being overweight or obese, while hypertension and every 1-year increase in the duration of diabetes mellitus are associated with a higher likelihood of being overweight or obese.