Abstract:
Background: Non-communicable diseases pose a significant health challenge globally, often
stemming from unhealthy lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions, notably leading to
overweight and obesity. This aspect is not adequately studied in rural settings in Sri Lanka.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of obesity and its relationship with lifestyle patterns
especially physical activity (PA) and dietary intake among community-dwellers of the North
Mudukatuwa Grama Niladhari division in Puttalam district
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 290 (calculated considering
previously identified prevalence of obesity in a Sri Lankan cohort) randomly selected
community-dwellers aged 18-65 years excluding the mentally incapacitated, seriously ill,
pregnant, and lactating. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) was measured. Overweight (23-24.9
kg/m2) and obese (≥25 kg/m2) were identified using accepted BMI cut-offs for Asians. Locally
validated brief dietary survey and International PA Questionnaire short version (IPAQ-SF)
were administered. Levels of PA identified were as minimally active; <600MET/week,
moderately active; 600MET-3000MET/week and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA
active); >3000MET/week). Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was used as the cut-off
for dietary intake. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 with descriptive statistics, the
Chi-square test, and Pearson’s correlation.
Results: The majority was female (68.6%) and aged between 40-60 years (45.9%). The
prevalence of overweight and obesity was 58.3% and 16.6%, respectively. Most of them,
consumed carbohydrates (93.8%) and fats (98.6%) more than the RDA and majority (86.9%)
consumed fruits and vegetables less than RDA. The majority consume an adequate amount of
protein. There was no association between BMI and intake of various food groups (p>0.05).
Those who eat more carbohydrates and fats belong to overweight and obese groups. Of the
sample, 48.3% were minimally active, 39% were moderately active, and 12.8% were HEPA
active. A weak correlation was observed only between BMI and walking pattern (r=-0.14,
p=0.01). Those who were minimally active were mostly seen in the category of overweight and
obese.
Conclusion: A significant proportion of the studied sample was either overweight or obese.
Physical activity patterns and dietary intake among the study group were beyond the acceptable
cutoffs. The BMI was weakly correlated with walking pattern.
