Obesity in Tanzanian Youth (15–35 Years) - From Nutrition Transition to Policy Action - A Scoping Review

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

Background: Tanzania is undergoing a rapid nutrition and epidemiological transition that has shifted dietary patterns and lifestyles toward more Westernised models, contributing to an increase in diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including obesity. Youth aged 15–35 years are particularly vulnerable. Objectives: Map evidence on youth obesity in Tanzania, targeting data gaps, the nutrition transition, and policies. Methods: Targeted PubMed, Scopus, and grey-literature search using the PCC framework. Results: 247 articles identified; 35 included, revealing limited regional and inconsistent age-disaggregated reporting, fragmented transition evidence, and broad, rarely youth-tailored policies. Conclusions: Evidence remains scarce and insufficiently age-specific; strengthening surveillance, context-specific research, and measurable youth-focused strategies is needed.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

1. Introduction

Review Obesity in Tanzanian Youth (15–35 Years): From Nutrition Transition to Policy Action—A Scoping Review Angeliki Sofroniou 1,†, Sara Basilico 2, *,†, Maria Vittoria Conti 2, Haikael David Martin 3 and Hellas Cena 2,4,5 Academic Editor: Chengwen Sun Received: 20 November 2025 Revised: 11 December 2025 Accepted: 20 December 2025 Published: 24 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy; [angeliki.sofroniou@unipr.it](angeliki.sofroniou@unipr.it) 2 Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; mariavittoria.conti@unipv.it (M.V.C.); [hellas.cena@unipv.it](hellas.cena@unipv.it) (H.C.) 3 School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania; [haikael.martin@nm-aist.ac.tz](haikael.martin@nm-aist.ac.tz) 4 Clinical Nutrition Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 27100 Pavia, Italy 5 Italian Institute for Planetary Health, 00168 Rome, Italy * Correspondence: sara.basilico01@universitadipavia.it; Tel.: +39-0382987536 † These authors are equally first authors for this work. Abstract Background: Tanzania is undergoing a rapid nutrition and epidemiological transition that has shifted dietary patterns and lifestyles toward more Westernised models, contributing to an increase in diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including obesity. Youth aged 15–35 years are particularly vulnerable to these shifts. Objectives: The objective of this scoping review was to map the available evidence on youth obesity in Tanzania, focusing on (1) data gaps in epidemiological reporting; (2) the ongoing nutrition transition; and (3) existing food system and health-related policies targeting youth. Methods: A targeted search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and the grey literature. The PCC (Population/Concept/Context) framework guided the study selection, focusing on youth and general young adults aged 15–35 years in Tanzania. Eligible studies published between 2000 and June 2025 were included. Results: The search yielded 247 peer-reviewed articles, of which 35 met the inclusion criteria. The findings reveal substantial gaps in epidemiological reporting, particularly limited regional data and inconsistent age disaggregation, which often obscures youth-specific patterns. Evidence on nutrition and lifestyle transitions is limited and fragmented, while available policies addressing obesity and related risk factors are broad in scope and rarely tailored to the youth population. Conclusions: This review demonstrates that evidence on obesity among Tanzanian youth is scarce, unevenly reported, and insufficiently specific to this age group. Clear gaps exist in epidemiological surveillance, research on nutrition transition, and youth-focused policy design. Strengthening agespecific monitoring systems, generating context-specific evidence, and developing targeted, measurable, and actionable strategies for youth could enhance Tanzania’s efforts to curb the rising burden of obesity and related NCDs. Keywords: Tanzania; low-middle income countries; obesity; nutrition transition; food policies; youth 1. Introduction Tanzania, like many East African countries, faces a triple burden of malnutrition, encompassing undernutrition (e.g., stunting and underweight), micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition (e.g., overweight and obesity) [1] . These conditions collectively contribute to the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [2,3] . Across East Africa, NCDs have risen sharply, with a reported 67% increase over the past 30 years, and

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this scoping review?

To map available evidence on obesity among youth in Tanzania, specifically addressing epidemiological reporting gaps, the ongoing nutrition transition, and existing food system and health-related policies targeting youth.

Which studies and time period were included?

Studies published between 2000 and June 2025 were included, selected through a targeted search in PubMed, Scopus, and grey literature using the PCC (Population/Concept/Context) framework.

What key evidence gaps did the review identify?

Major gaps include limited regional epidemiological data and inconsistent age disaggregation that obscures youth-specific patterns; evidence on nutrition and lifestyle transitions is limited and fragmented, and policies are broad and rarely tailored to youth.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man