Obesity and Serum Uric Acid Correlation among Women in Mukalla City, Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Obesity is rising globally, and while its link to hyperuricemia is well-documented internationally, to our knowledge, there is no evidence of such a correlation study conducted in our country in general and Hadhramout in particular. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the relationship between obesity and serum uric acid levels among women in Mukalla city.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2024 on a random sample of 76 healthy women who came to training in gyms in Mukalla city. Their ages ranged from 18 to 53 years. Participants were categorized by Body Mass Index (BMI) into three groups: normal weight (n=18), overweight (n=23), and obese (n=35). Height, weight and BMI were measured in all groups, and blood was drawn for uric acid measurement. The results obtained were analyzed by the SPSS statistical program.

Statistical analysis results revealed that obesity was the most prevalent condition (46.06%) among the study groups. Results showed a significant increase in body weight, BMI, and uric acid levels in the overweight and obese groups compared to the normal weight group (P < 0.05), with the elevation being more pronounced in the obese group. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between BMI and uric acid specifically within the obese group, while no such correlation appeared in the normal weight and overweight groups.

The study concluded that the uric acid levels increases with increase of body weight, indicating a strong positive relationship between high uric acid and obesity risk. The study recommends using uric acid levels as an essential obesity-related indicator.