IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i10p6108-d817741.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Direct and Indirect Determinants of Body Mass Index in Both Major Ethnic Groups Experiencing the Nutritional Transition in Cameroon

Author

Listed:
  • Emmanuel Cohen

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
    SAMRC/WITS Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Norbert Amougou

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Amandine Ponty

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France)

  • Margaux Guerrien

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France)

  • Wakilongo Wakenge

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France)

  • Glory Chidumwa

    (SAMRC/WITS Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa)

  • Rihlat Said-Mohamed

    (SAMRC/WITS Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
    Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Human, Social and Political Science, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK)

  • Léopold K. Fezeu

    (Sorbonne Paris Cité, Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center (CRESS), Inserm U1153, Inra U1125, Cnam, University of Paris 13, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), 93017 Bobigny, France)

  • Patrick Pasquet

    (UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Musée de l’Homme, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France)

Abstract

In the context of rapid nutritional transitions in Africa, few studies have analyzed the etiology of obesity by considering the driver pathways that predict body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study is to innovatively identify these driver pathways, including the main sociodemographic and socioecological drivers of BMI. We conducted a rural–urban quantitative study in Cameroon ( n = 1106; balanced sex ratio) to explore this issue. We recruited participants and reported several sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., marital status, socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity). We then assessed three main socioecological drivers of BMI (body weight perception, dietary intake, and physical activity) and conducted bioanthropometric measurements. We identified several driver pathways predicting BMI. In Cameroon, Bamiléké ethnicity, higher SES, being married, and older age had positive effects on BMI through overweight valorization and/or dietary intake. Accordingly, we found that being Bamiléké, married, and middle-aged, as well as having a higher SES, were factors that constituted at-risk subgroups overexposed to drivers of obesity. As such, this study highlights the necessity of investigating the complex driver pathways that lead to obesity. Therefore, better identification of the subgroups at risk for obesity will help in developing more targeted population health policies in countries where this burden is a major public health issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel Cohen & Norbert Amougou & Amandine Ponty & Margaux Guerrien & Wakilongo Wakenge & Glory Chidumwa & Rihlat Said-Mohamed & Léopold K. Fezeu & Patrick Pasquet, 2022. "Direct and Indirect Determinants of Body Mass Index in Both Major Ethnic Groups Experiencing the Nutritional Transition in Cameroon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6108-:d:817741
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/10/6108/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/10/6108/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cornelie Nienaber-Rousseau & Olusola F. Sotunde & Patricia O. Ukegbu & P. Hermanus Myburgh & Hattie H. Wright & Lize Havemann-Nel & Sarah J. Moss & Iolanthé M. Kruger & H. Salomé Kruger, 2017. "Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle Factors Predict 5-Year Changes in Adiposity among a Group of Black South African Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Adam E. Locke & Bratati Kahali & Sonja I. Berndt & Anne E. Justice & Tune H. Pers & Felix R. Day & Corey Powell & Sailaja Vedantam & Martin L. Buchkovich & Jian Yang & Damien C. Croteau-Chonka & Tonu , 2015. "Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology," Nature, Nature, vol. 518(7538), pages 197-206, February.
    3. Lisa K. Micklesfield & Richard J. Munthali & Alessandra Prioreschi & Rihlat Said-Mohamed & Alastair Van Heerden & Stephen Tollman & Kathleen Kahn & David Dunger & Shane A. Norris, 2017. "Understanding the Relationship between Socio-Economic Status, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, and Adiposity in Young Adult South African Women Using Structural Equation Modelling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, October.
    4. Emmanuel Cohen & Norbert Amougou & Amandine Ponty & Juliette Loinger-Beck & Téodyl Nkuintchua & Nicolas Monteillet & Jonathan Y. Bernard & Rihlat Saïd-Mohamed & Michelle Holdsworth & Patrick Pasquet, 2017. "Nutrition Transition and Biocultural Determinants of Obesity among Cameroonian Migrants in Urban Cameroon and France," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-23, June.
    5. Olufunke Alaba & Lumbwe Chola, 2014. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in Adult Obesity Prevalence in South Africa: A Decomposition Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Thomas Burgoine & Joreintje D. Mackenbach & Jeroen Lakerveld & Nita G. Forouhi & Simon J. Griffin & Søren Brage & Nicholas J. Wareham & Pablo Monsivais, 2017. "Interplay of Socioeconomic Status and Supermarket Distance Is Associated with Excess Obesity Risk: A UK Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cornelie Nienaber-Rousseau & Olusola F. Sotunde & Patricia O. Ukegbu & P. Hermanus Myburgh & Hattie H. Wright & Lize Havemann-Nel & Sarah J. Moss & Iolanthé M. Kruger & H. Salomé Kruger, 2017. "Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle Factors Predict 5-Year Changes in Adiposity among a Group of Black South African Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Jacob Joseph & Chang Liu & Qin Hui & Krishna Aragam & Zeyuan Wang & Brian Charest & Jennifer E. Huffman & Jacob M. Keaton & Todd L. Edwards & Serkalem Demissie & Luc Djousse & Juan P. Casas & J. Micha, 2022. "Genetic architecture of heart failure with preserved versus reduced ejection fraction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Vikesh Amin & Jere R. Behrman & Jason M. Fletcher & Carlos A. Flores & Alfonso Flores‐Lagunes & Hans‐Peter Kohler, 2021. "Genetic risks, adolescent health, and schooling attainment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(11), pages 2905-2920, November.
    4. Lili Liu & Atlas Khan & Elena Sanchez-Rodriguez & Francesca Zanoni & Yifu Li & Nicholas Steers & Olivia Balderes & Junying Zhang & Priya Krithivasan & Robert A. LeDesma & Clara Fischman & Scott J. Heb, 2022. "Genetic regulation of serum IgA levels and susceptibility to common immune, infectious, kidney, and cardio-metabolic traits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Shaan Khurshid & Julieta Lazarte & James P. Pirruccello & Lu-Chen Weng & Seung Hoan Choi & Amelia W. Hall & Xin Wang & Samuel F. Friedman & Victor Nauffal & Kiran J. Biddinger & Krishna G. Aragam & Pu, 2023. "Clinical and genetic associations of deep learning-derived cardiac magnetic resonance-based left ventricular mass," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Dixon, Padraig & Hollingworth, William & Harrison, Sean & Davies, Neil M. & Davey Smith, George, 2020. "Mendelian Randomization analysis of the causal effect of adiposity on hospital costs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    7. Cecilia Pessoa Rodrigues & Aindrila Chatterjee & Meike Wiese & Thomas Stehle & Witold Szymanski & Maria Shvedunova & Asifa Akhtar, 2021. "Histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation controls central carbon metabolism and diet-induced obesity in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Jordi Manuello & Joosung Min & Paul McCarthy & Fidel Alfaro-Almagro & Soojin Lee & Stephen Smith & Lloyd T. Elliott & Anderson M. Winkler & Gwenaëlle Douaud, 2024. "The effects of genetic and modifiable risk factors on brain regions vulnerable to ageing and disease," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Kamila Kholmatova & Alexandra Krettek & David A. Leon & Sofia Malyutina & Sarah Cook & Laila A. Hopstock & Ola Løvsletten & Alexander V. Kudryavtsev, 2022. "Obesity Prevalence and Associated Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Health Behaviors in Russia and Norway," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-21, August.
    10. Yi Huang & Anyongqi Wang & Wenjiang Zhou & Baoguo Li & Linshan Zhang & Agata M. Rudolf & Zengguang Jin & Catherine Hambly & Guanlin Wang & John R. Speakman, 2024. "Maternal dietary fat during lactation shapes single nucleus transcriptomic profile of postnatal offspring hypothalamus in a sexually dimorphic manner in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Wei Zhao & Erin B. Ware & Zihuai He & Sharon L. R. Kardia & Jessica D. Faul & Jennifer A. Smith, 2017. "Interaction between Social/Psychosocial Factors and Genetic Variants on Body Mass Index: A Gene-Environment Interaction Analysis in a Longitudinal Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, September.
    12. Jie Huang & Jennifer E. Huffman & Yunfeng Huang & Ítalo Valle & Themistocles L. Assimes & Sridharan Raghavan & Benjamin F. Voight & Chang Liu & Albert-László Barabási & Rose D. L. Huang & Qin Hui & Xu, 2022. "Genomics and phenomics of body mass index reveals a complex disease network," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Kristina M. Garske & Asha Kar & Caroline Comenho & Brunilda Balliu & David Z. Pan & Yash V. Bhagat & Gregory Rosenberg & Amogha Koka & Sankha Subhra Das & Zong Miao & Janet S. Sinsheimer & Jaakko Kapr, 2023. "Increased body mass index is linked to systemic inflammation through altered chromatin co-accessibility in human preadipocytes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    14. Olufunke A. Alaba & Charles Hongoro & Aquina Thulare & Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa, 2021. "Leaving No Child Behind: Decomposing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Health for India and South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Sheng Wang & Hyunseung Kang, 2022. "Weak‐instrument robust tests in two‐sample summary‐data Mendelian randomization," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 78(4), pages 1699-1713, December.
    16. Samuel Baker & Pietro Biroli & Hans van Kippersluis & Stephanie von Hinke, 2022. "Beyond Barker: Infant Mortality at Birth and Ischaemic Heart Disease in Older Age," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 22/765, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    17. Parsa Akbari & Olukayode A. Sosina & Jonas Bovijn & Karl Landheer & Jonas B. Nielsen & Minhee Kim & Senem Aykul & Tanima De & Mary E. Haas & George Hindy & Nan Lin & Ian R. Dinsmore & Jonathan Z. Luo , 2022. "Multiancestry exome sequencing reveals INHBE mutations associated with favorable fat distribution and protection from diabetes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Viinikainen, Jutta & Bryson, Alex & Böckerman, Petri & Kari, Jaana T. & Lehtimäki, Terho & Raitakari, Olli & Viikari, Jorma & Pehkonen, Jaakko, 2022. "Does better education mitigate risky health behavior? A mendelian randomization study," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    19. Sarah Meulebrouck & Judith Merrheim & Gurvan Queniat & Cyril Bourouh & Mehdi Derhourhi & Mathilde Boissel & Xiaoyan Yi & Alaa Badreddine & Raphaël Boutry & Audrey Leloire & Bénédicte Toussaint & Souhi, 2024. "Functional genetics reveals the contribution of delta opioid receptor to type 2 diabetes and beta-cell function," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    20. Mateus H. Gouveia & Amy R. Bentley & Thiago P. Leal & Eduardo Tarazona-Santos & Carlos D. Bustamante & Adebowale A. Adeyemo & Charles N. Rotimi & Daniel Shriner, 2023. "Unappreciated subcontinental admixture in Europeans and European Americans and implications for genetic epidemiology studies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6108-:d:817741. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.