Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42094643›Full record

ArticleBMJ public health2026

Trends in obesity prevalence and changes in adiposity across ethnic groups: findings from a population-based prospective cohort study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (HELIUS study).

Yaw Kusi-Mensah, Esther M Vriend, Eric Moll van Charante, Henrike Galenkamp, Karien Stronks, Charles Hayfron-Benjamin, Sean Chetty, Didier Collard, Charles Agyemang, Bert-Jan H van den Born

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yaw Kusi-MensahAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0578-0654
Esther M VriendAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eric Moll van CharanteAmsterdam UMC, Department of General Practice, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Henrike GalenkampAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Karien StronksAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Charles Hayfron-BenjaminAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Sean ChettyDepartment of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
Didier CollardAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences Institute, Department of Vascular Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8572-8751
Charles AgyemangAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Bert-Jan H van den BornAmsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Department of Public & Occupational Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and aim: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, with large differences across regions. European data on obesity trends among ethnic groups is scarce, particularly regarding the influence of age and socioeconomic status on these trends, which is crucial for guiding targeted interventions. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of obesity and changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) over time and the effects of key sociodemographic factors on these changes using longitudinal data from a large multi-ethnic cohort. Methods: Using baseline and follow-up data from 10 484 participants in the HEalthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study, representing Dutch, South-Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Moroccan and Turkish populations; age-adjusted obesity prevalence; BMI and WC changes over an average follow-up of 6.3 (SD 1.2) years were calculated. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes in BMI and WC over time, adjusting for age, sex and socio-economic position. Key analyses were stratified by age (younger <50 years, older ≥50 years). Results: Median age of the baseline population was 48.0 years (IQR 38.0, 56.0), with 56.7% being women. Age-adjusted prevalence of obesity increased from 23.6% at baseline to 28.7% at follow-up, with steeper increases in ethnic minority groups compared with the Dutch origin group. The steepest increase in BMI and WC was observed in younger migrants, especially in those of Ghanaian and African-Surinamese descent. In older participants, only individuals of Ghanaian and Turkish descent showed a further increase in BMI over time. Conclusion: Obesity is increasingly prevalent in ethnic minority groups under 50 years, potentially raising obesity-related health risks and underscoring the need for targeted interventions to prevent further complications.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexCardiovascular DiseasesEpidemiologyObesityPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID42094643
PMCPMC13140977

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.