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Patterns of body weight in the Baltic Republics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Joceline Pomerleau ,
Iveta Pudule ,
Daiga Grinberga ,
Kamelija Kadziauskiene ,
Algis Abaravicius ,
Roma Bartkeviciute ,
Sirje Vaask ,
Aileen Robertson  and
Martin McKee
Joceline Pomerleau
Affiliation:
European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Iveta Pudule
Affiliation:
Health Education Division, Health Promotion Centre, Skolas 3, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia.
Daiga Grinberga
Affiliation:
Health Education Division, Health Promotion Centre, Skolas 3, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia.
Kamelija Kadziauskiene
Affiliation:
National Nutrition Centre, Kalvariju str. 153, 2042 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Algis Abaravicius
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Vilnius University, Ciurlionio str. 21/27, 2009 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Roma Bartkeviciute
Affiliation:
National Nutrition Centre, Kalvariju str. 153, 2042 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Sirje Vaask
Affiliation:
Public Health Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Gonsiori str. 29, EE0100 Tallinn, Estonia.
Aileen Robertson
Affiliation:
WHO Regional Officer for Europe, Scherfigsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Martin McKee*
Affiliation:
European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Objective

Previously recorded rates of obesity in the Baltic Republics have been among the highest in the world although little is known about how they vary within the population. This study investigates the distribution of body mass index (BMI) and obesity in these countries.

Design

Three cross-sectional surveys conducted in the summer of 1997.

Setting

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Subjects

Representative national samples of adults with measured weight and height (Estonia: n = 1154; Latvia: n = 2292; Lithuania: n = 2096).

Results

Between-country differences are particularly large among women: women from Latvia and Lithuania are approximately three times as likely to be obese as those from Estonia (17.4%, 18.3%, 6.0% respectively); only about one-third of this difference is explained by the sociodemographic and behavioural factors studied. In men, the prevalence of obesity varied only slightly among countries (Estonia: 9.9%; Latvia: 9.5%; Lithuania: 11.4%). While the prevalence of obesity increases with age within each republic, particularly in women, it is not associated with nationality or urban/rural region, and no consistent association is observed with income. Obesity is inversely related to education in Latvia and in Lithuanian women. Latvian men and women and Lithuanian men who smoked had a lower prevalence of obesity than non-smokers. Leisure time physical activity was not associated with obesity.

Conclusions

Obesity is a major health problem in the Baltic Republics, particularly among Latvian and Lithuanian women. The lack of association between obesity and most demographic, socioeconomic and behavioural factors suggests that the problem is generalized. Health promotion strategies aiming at preventing and controlling excess weight gain in the Baltic Republics will need to target the general population.

Keywords

ObesityDietLatviaLithuaniaEstonia
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2000 , pp. 3 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

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