Socio-demographic predictors of obesity among women in Mukono Central Division in Central Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is a steadily increasing trend in obesity globally and in Sub-Saharan Africa that disproportionately affects women in most places. This is not different in Uganda, where the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey indicated an increase in obesity among women of reproductive age as measured by the body mass index (BMI). However, studies on the predictors of obesity in women are still limited. Particularly, studies using specific indicators of body fat are scant. This study explored the socio-demographic predictors of obesity as indicated by total body fat percentage among women in the age range of 18 to 69 years old living in Mukono Central Division in Central Uganda. METHODS: A cross sectional study design using quantitative methods was employed. A total of 384 women between 18 and 69 years old from Mukono Central Division in Central Uganda were randomly recruited. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data including age, level of education, marital status, childbearing status, household expenditure, household size and employment status. Total body fat percentage, the indicator for obesity was measured using the body composition meter from TANITA. The data was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression analysis using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: 155 women, nearly two fifths (40.4% CI 95% 38.4-42.4) were classified as obese. Age, marital status, childbearing status, and employment status were the factors that were associated with obesity among these women. Employment status was the only variable that remained significantly associated with obesity among the women after adjusting for other factors. Unemployed women were nearly two times more likely to be obese than the employed women (AOR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1-3.1). The prevalence of obesity among the unemployed and employed women was 48.2% and 34.4% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity in women was predicted by employment status. An in-depth study on factors that predispose unemployed women to obesity, will be instrumental in guiding interventions to curb the emerging obesity epidemic in Uganda. In the same vein, strategies to reduce levels of unemployment among women living in urban Uganda are essential for protecting public health from the dimension of reducing obesity levels.

Broadening the scope of social support, coping skills and resilience among caretakers of children with disabilities in Uganda: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Most caretakers of children with disabilities (CWDs) have adverse health outcomes. Approximately 31% of the caretakers have clinical depression in the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 42% of them face severe psychological distress. Caretakers in Africa face additional cultural challenges that undermine their coping skills, access to social support, and resilience. METHODS: This study used sequential explanatory mixed methods to examine the relationships of social support, coping skills and resilience among caretakers of CWDs in Uganda. A total of 621 caretakers were surveyed, and 43 of them participated in interviews. Hierarchical cluster analysis and binary logistic regression were conducted to determine coping patterns and predict caretakers' likelihood of using them. Hierarchical linear regression and thematic analyses then explored the relationships and perceptions of coping skills and resilience related to social support. A joint display was used to integrate results and show the convergence and expansion of quantitative and qualitative results. RESULTS: Quantitative and qualitative findings converged that caretakers who received social support used adaptive coping skills and had higher resilience. Qualitative results expanded the finding that caretakers who received formal social support perceived it as a safer mode of care than informal social support. CONCLUSIONS: The study expanded the scope of social support, coping skills, and resilience. Caretakers perceived formal social support from schools as a safe mode of care that enabled them to use adaptive coping skills and have high resilience. Therefore, enrolling children with disabilities in schools at an early age is beneficial for building the resilience of their caretakers.