Factors associated with overweight and obesity among bankers and teachers in southern Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study.

Background: In Ethiopia, teachers and bankers together represent a significant portion of the urban professional workforce approximately 900 000 teachers and 130 000 banking employees, accounting for nearly 7% of total employment. The nature of their work involves prolonged sitting, limited physical activity, and high mental workloads, which increase the risk of overweight and obesity. Bankers spend long hours at desks or computers, while teachers face extended classroom hours and administrative duties, often with limited access to recreational facilities. Unlike professionals in high-income countries, Ethiopian bankers and teachers generally have fewer workplace wellness programs, limited occupational health services, and lower awareness of lifestyle-related health risks. Adult overweight and obesity have risen sharply, exceeding 8% nationally and 20% in urban areas, posing a growing public health concern.. However, there is a lack of data on the lifestyle behaviors and health status, including factors related to overweight and obesity, among bankers and teachers in Ethiopia We investigated Factors associated with overweight and obesity among bankers and teachers in southern Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study in Wolaita Sodo city from August 1st to 30th, 2022. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 227 bankers and 287 teachers. Data was collected using a modified version of the World Health Organization's Stepwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance tool. We used an ordinal logistic regression analysis to determine the factors associated with overweight/obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 44.4% and 21.8% among bankers and teachers, respectively, while the prevalence of obesity was 14% and 4.37%. Among bankers, low physical activity (aPOR: 5; 95% CI: 1.73, 14.6), being female (aPOR: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.51, 5.27), marital status (aPOR: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.27, 5.43), snack intake habits (aPOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.37, 7.16), higher monthly income (aPOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.11, 5.50), and alcohol consumption (aPOR: 2.73; 95% CI: 1.45, 5.14) were significantly associated with overweight/obesity. For teachers, female sex (aPOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.18, 4.0), marital status (aPOR: 5.1; 95% CI: 2.13, 12.4), and low physical activity (aPOR: 3.38; 95% CI: 1.31, 8.70) were significant factors . Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are more prevalent among bankers than teachers in southern Ethiopia. Factors such as low physical activity, female gender, higher income, snacking habits, and alcohol consumption were strongly associated with overweight and obesity. Targeted workplace health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention strategies are urgently needed to address these risks among sedentary professionals.