Gambia
- Overview
- Obesity prevalence
- Trends over time
- Contextual factors
Loading data – please wait …
National obesity risk *7/10This is a composite ‘obesity risk’ score (out of 10, the highest risk) based on obesity prevalence, rate of increase, likelihood of meeting the 2025 target, treatment indicator and childhood stunting levels.Childhood obesity risk *4/11This is a ‘risk score’ for each country’s likelihood of having or acquiring a major childhood obesity problem during the 2020s, taking account of current prevalence levels and risk for future obesity (based on stunting among infants, maternal obesity, maternal smoking, and breastfeeding rates).
Obesity prevalence
Trends over time
Download report card
The report card collates all the most-recent graphics for this country. If you would like to produce a custom report based on selected graphics, just tap the Add to custom PDF button below the graphics you would like to use.Population breakdowns
Drivers
Comorbidities
Economic impact
Policies
Contextual factors
Obesity prevalence
Adults, 2019
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 35+ |
| Sample size: | 9188 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, multimorbidity, and related risk factors among adult Gambians: a cross-sectional nationwide study. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00508-9 |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Women, 2019-2020
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15-49 |
| Sample size: | 5328 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) and ICF. 2021. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019- 20. Banjul, The Gambia and Rockville, Maryland, USA: GBoS and ICF. https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR369/FR369.pdf (last accessed 19.05.21) |
| Notes: | Demographic Health Survey data includes ever married women aged 15-49 years only and may include males aged 15-59. |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Women, 2018
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15-49 |
| Sample size: | 1651 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | National Nutrition Agency (NaNA)-Gambia, UNICEF, Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS), GroundWork. Gambia National Micronutrient Survey 2018. Banjul, Gambia; 2019 |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Women, 2013
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15-49 |
| Sample size: | 4024 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | The Gambia Bureau of Statistics - GBOS and ICF International. 2014. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2013. Banjul, The Gambia: GBOS and ICF International. |
| Notes: | Demographic Health Survey data includes ever married women aged 15-49 years only and may include males aged 15-59. |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 2010
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 25-64 |
| References: | Cham B, Scholes S, Ng Fat L, Badjie O, Groce NE, Mindell JS. The silent epidemic of obesity in The Gambia: evidence from a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional health examination survey. BMJ Open. 2020 Jun 1;10(6):e033882. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033882. PMID: 32487572; PMCID: PMC7265034. |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 2010
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 25-64 |
| Sample size: | 5280 |
| Area covered: | National |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Adults, 1996
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15+ |
| Sample size: | 5373 |
| References: | Prentice A. The emerging epidemic of obesity in developing coutnries. International Journal of Epidemilogy 2006;35:93-99 |
| Unless otherwise noted, overweight refers to a BMI between 25kg and 29.9kg/m², obesity refers to a BMI greater than 30kg/m². | |
Children, 2019-2020
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 0-5 |
| Sample size: | 3964 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) and ICF. 2021. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019- 20. Banjul, The Gambia and Rockville, Maryland, USA: GBoS and ICF. https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR369/FR369.pdf (last accessed 19.05.21) |
| Notes: | Infants |
| Definitions: | Children whose weight-for-height Z-score is more than two standard deviations (+2 SD) above the median of the reference population are considered overweight. |
| Cutoffs: | Other |
Children, 2014
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 13-15 |
| Sample size: | 960 |
| Area covered: | Urban |
| References: | Juwara A, Huang N, Chien LY, Chen HJ. Stunting and weight statuses of adolescents differ between public and private schools in urban Gambia. Int J Public Health. 2016 Jul;61(6):717-726. doi: 10.1007/s00038-016-0836-6. Epub 2016 May 24. PMID: 27220546. |
| Notes: | Please note these figures are based on children attending urban public schools in Gambia. Currently no nationally representative data are available to us. |
| Cutoffs: | CDC |
Girls, 2013
| Survey type: | Measured |
| Age: | 15-19 |
| Sample size: | 795 |
| Area covered: | National |
| References: | Benedict, Rukundo K., Allison Schmale, and Sorrel Namaste. 2018. Adolescent Nutrition 2000-2017: DHS Data on Adolescents Age 15-19. DHS Comparative Report No. 47. Rockville, Maryland, USA: ICF. The Gambia Bureau of Statistics - GBOS and ICF International. 2014. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2013. Banjul, The Gambia: GBOS and ICF International. |
| Notes: | Small sample size |
| Definitions: | BMI for age: between +1 SD and +2 SD is overweight and greater than +2 SD is obesity |
| Cutoffs: | WHO 2007 |
% Adults living with overweight or obesity, 2013-2020
Women
| Survey type: | Measured |
| References: | 2013: The Gambia Bureau of Statistics - GBOS and ICF International. 2014. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2013. Banjul, The Gambia: GBOS and ICF International. 2018: National Nutrition Agency (NaNA)-Gambia, UNICEF, Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS), GroundWork. Gambia National Micronutrient Survey 2018. Banjul, Gambia; 2019 2019: Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS)and ICF. 2021. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019-20. Banjul, The Gambia and Rockville, Maryland, USA: GBoS and ICF. |
| Different methodologies may have been used to collect this data and so data from different surveys may not be strictly comparable. Please check with original data sources for methodologies used. | |
% Adults living with obesity, 2013-2020
| Survey type: | Measured |
| References: | 2013: The Gambia Bureau of Statistics - GBOS and ICF International. 2014. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2013. Banjul, The Gambia: GBOS and ICF International. 2018: National Nutrition Agency (NaNA)-Gambia, UNICEF, Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS), GroundWork. Gambia National Micronutrient Survey 2018. Banjul, Gambia; 2019 2019: Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) and ICF. 2021. The Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019- 20. Banjul, The Gambia and Rockville, Maryland, USA: GBoS and ICF. https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR369/FR369.pdf (last accessed 19.05.21) |
| Different methodologies may have been used to collect this data and so data from different surveys may not be strictly comparable. Please check with original data sources for methodologies used. | |
