Jordan
A gender-sensitive approach to helping women fight obesity
According to the 2009 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 27.8% of women in Jordan are overweight and 28.7% obese, which makes for a total of 56.5% of Jordanian women with a weight that poses a health risk.
Obesity and inequities
These rates are alarming, particularly because obesity among women is recognized as an inequity related to their position in society. There is a lack of appropriate places for women to exercise; women often have a high number of children; and there is a high prevalence of low-income households and poor quality foods. The problem is more serious among poorer and less educated sectors of the population.
All of this is significant because obesity and overweight contribute to poor outcomes not only for the persons who suffer, but also for the health care systems and the communities at large, which are burdened financially.
Increasing access to information and care
In this context a CIDA-funded project was initiated called ““An integrated, gender-sensitive approach to target overweight and obesity in less-advantageous populations in Jordan”. It aimed to increase women’s access to information and facilities to reduce overweight, obesity and related health outcomes.
Data were collected over a period of thirteen days in December of 2013 in the governorates of Karak, Ma’an, Tafilah and Aqaba through a survey administered to 240 respondents including 20 women, 10 men and 30 students from each governorate, and the questions covered access to facilities and information; social determinants and barriers; quality of life; height, weight and body mass index; and knowledge about obesity and its complications.
Future considerations
Key findings pointed to the need to sustain collaboration with communities; provide reduced-cost fitness centres in each governorate; allocate resources to equip fitness centres and provide them with dieticians; and establish a plan of action for community achievement. Several interventions were organized and the proposals submitted from the National Centre for Women’s Health Care (NWHCC), included a competition for the biggest weight loser; a physical activity in each governorate; health screenings for women in Tafilah; and the development of educational posters and pamphlets.
Recommendations for a future study involve repeating the project in all the governorates with a larger sample size based on a representative sample selected by more rigorous methods, as well as repeating the post-questionnaire interventions.