Background: There are rising public health concerns due to diseases associated with increasing trends of overweight and obesity with significant adverse health, psychological and socioeconomic consequences. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity among the staff of multinational companies in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted among the staff of two multinational companies. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to recruit 296 respondents from the companies. Respondents’ information was obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire, their weight and height were measured using standard procedures and Body Mass Index (BMI) was determined using WHO classification.
Results: Male respondents were 59.5% and 40.5% were female. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 43.6% and 15.2%, respectively. Many (58.1%) of the respondents were physically inactive and those who sometimes - always engaged in exercise were less likely to be obese. Overweight and obesity were found to be significantly related to female sex (p<0.05), increasing age (p<0.001), currently married (p<0.001), high level of education (p<0.05), and increased monthly income (p<0.001).
Conclusion: High prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed among the respondents. Therefore, top management of companies especially in the study area should implement regular, and workstation interventions to address rising BMI among their staff, and awareness promoting a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and avoiding risky behaviors should be implemented.