OBJECTIVES: Hitherto regarded as a public health issue of well-heeled nations, overweight and obesity have emerged as a problem of concern in developing nations. Although social and demographic factors are equally important as proximal lifestyle factors affecting health, their role is neither well researched nor well understood. We conducted a novel study to determine the distribution, prevalence, and social and demographic determinants of overweight/obesity in Malawi.METHODS: A population-based, quantitative cross-sectional study using data from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015–2016) was conducted among non-pregnant women aged 18–49 years. A total of 6,443 women were included in the analysis. Overweight/obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥25.0 kg/m² , was the main outcome variable. The analysis was done in SPSS version 20.0; after calculating descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate associations and determine odds.RESULTS: In total, 16.8% and 6.3% of women were overweight and obese, respectively (p<0.001). Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in urban than in rural areas. The BMI distribution among women varied across different background characteristics. Women from the Ngoni ethnicity were more likely to be overweight/obese than others (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 2.08). Socioeconomic status (SES) and the age of the respondent were highly significant determinants that were strongly associated with being overweight/obese. The richest women were 3 times more likely to be overweight/obese than the poorest (aOR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.46 to 4.43).CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent and significantly associated with increasing SES, age, and being from the Ngoni ethnicity. Holistic interventions should also focus on improving social determinants in order to entirely curb the epidemic.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Developing Countries ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Malawi ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Social Class ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of nursing students trained in a new model teaching ward in Malawi. A total of 90students from five nursing colleges were randomly assigned to one model ward and two ordinary wards in a single teaching hospital. The students were administered a revised version of the Student Evaluation of Clinical Education Environment questionnaire. Significant differences among the three wards were found in all items in the communication/feedback subscale, with the exception of the item "nursing staff provided constructive feedback" (P=0.162). Within the learning opportunities subscale all items showed significant differences among the three wards, whereas 50% of the items in the learning support/assistance subscale had significantly different responses among the three wards. Within the department atmosphere subscale, no significant differences were found in the items assessing whether an adequate number and variety of patients were present in the ward (P=0.978). The strategies that are being implemented to improve the educational environment showed positive results. Students scored the model teaching ward highly. Students who underwent precepting in the model teaching wards reported having more learning opportunities and a positive learning environment.
Atmosphere ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Learning ; Malawi* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*