Body Mass Index Among Melanesian and Indian Fijians Aged ≥ 40 Years Living in Fiji

Abstract

To determine the distribution and sociodemographic associations of body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) among Melanesian and Indian Fijians aged ≥40 years living in Fiji, a population-based cross-sectional survey with multistage random sampling was conducted in 2009. Melanesians were more likely to have BMI ≥25 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.57-6.28; P < .001) and BMI ≥30 (OR = 3.84; 95% CI = 2.94-5.03; P < .001). Among Melanesians, gender and educational attainment were predictive of BMI ≥25 on multivariate analysis. Women were more likely to be overweight (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.34-3.06) or obese (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.43-2.59). Among Indians, gender and age were predictive of BMI ≥25. Again, women were more likely to be overweight (OR = 2.51; 95% CI = 1.69-3.73) or obese (OR = 3.71; 95% CI = 2.19-6.29). Gender—age—domicile-adjusted, and extrapolating across Fiji, 0.3%, 84.5%, and 51.7% of Melanesians aged ≥40 years had BMI <18.5, ≥25, and ≥30, respectively. Among Indians, these values were 5.8%, 54.2%, and 21.2%, respectively.