Trends in the prevalence of adult overweight and obesity in Australia, and its association with geographic remoteness

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been increasing globally and has become a significant public health concern in Australia in the two past decades. This study explores the most recent national prevalence and trends of adult overweight and obesity in Australia. It will also investigate geographic remoteness as a potential risk factor for an individual being overweight or obese in adulthood. A retrospective longitudinal study that utilised 14 successive waves (wave 6 through 19) of a nationally representative linked individual-level survey. Data was obtained from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The data on 199,675 observations from 26,713 individuals aged a 15 years over the period 2006 to 2019 was analysed. Random-effects logit model was employed to estimate the association between geographic remoteness and the risk of excessive weight gain. The results reveal that the prevalence of overweight, obesity and combined overweight and obesity among Australian adults in 2019 were 34%, 26% and 60%, respectively. The analysis shows that the prevalence of overweight and obesity varies by geographic remoteness. Adults from regional city urban (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.16-2.03) and rural areas (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18-1.47) were more likely to be obese compared with their counterparts from major city urban areas. The results also show that adults living in major city urban areas, regional city urban areas, and regional city rural areas in Australia were 1.53 (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.16-2.03), 1.32 (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.18-1.47), and 1.18 (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08-1.29) times more likely to be overweight compared with their counterparts from major city urban areas in Australia. Substantial geographic variation in the prevalence of overweight and obesity exists among Australian adults and appears to be increasing. Public health measures should focus on contextual obesogenic factors and behavioural characteristics to curb the rising prevalence of adult obesity.

Automated summary

The study reveals that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Australian adults has been increasing over the past two decades, with geographic remoteness being identified as a potential risk factor for adult overweight or obesity. Residents of major city urban areas were found to be less likely to be obese compared to those in regional city urban and rural areas. Geographic variation plays a significant role in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults in Australia, suggesting the need for public health measures to address the rising rates of adult obesity.