Sex and Age Disparities in the Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents in Ghana, 1990–2022: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study examined the disparities in the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents from 1990 to 2022. Methods: Crude prevalence estimates were obtained from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Health Observatory, accessible through the WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (WHO HEAT). The study population comprised children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) exceeding two standard deviations above the mean, in accordance with the WHO Growth Reference. Descriptive analysis was employed to examine longitudinal trends and disparities in crude obesity prevalence. The dimensions of age (5–9 and 10–19 years) and sex (female and male) were utilised to assess disparities related to obesity. Absolute and relative inequalities were evaluated using difference (D) and ratio (R) summary measures, respectively. Results: In 1990, the crude prevalence of obesity was higher among female children and adolescents (1.45%; confidence interval [CI] 0.38–3.41) compared to their male counterparts (1.07%; CI 0.14–3.40). However, by 2022, the prevalence was higher among males (8.20%; CI 5.15–12.01) compared to females (5.78%; CI 3.57–8.48). Regarding age, the prevalence of obesity in 1990 was 2.24% among 5–9-year-olds, compared with 0.59% among 10–19-year-olds. Both age groups saw an increase in crude obesity prevalence over time, and by 2022, the prevalence of obesity was 12.10% among 5–9-year-olds, compared with 4.04% among 10–19-year-olds. In 1990, the difference and ratio estimates were 0.38 and 1.36, respectively, indicating a higher prevalence among females than males. Concurrently, the ratio decreased from 1.36 in 1990 to 0.71 in 2022, further confirming the shift towards a higher prevalence of male obesity in later years. The difference in obesity prevalence (5–9 years minus 10–19 years) stayed positive throughout the study period. In 2022, the age difference in crude obesity prevalence was +8.07 percentage points, and the ratio was 3.00, indicating that the younger group had a prevalence three times that of the older group. Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity increased significantly from 1990 to 2022, with a shift from females to males and a disproportionate impact on younger children. These trends underscore the necessity for targeted public health interventions that address age- and sex-specific disparities.