The World Health Organization has reported that the prevalence of overweight is a growing problem in many countries, including middle- and lower-income countries like Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and its associated factors among Malaysian adults. A total of 9782 Malaysian adults aged 18 and above were included in this study, representing states and federal territories from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. Sociodemographic data (sex, locality, age, marital status, ethnicity, educational level, income level, and health literacy), non-communicable disease status (hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia), and lifestyle behaviors (physical activity level, smoking status, and also fruit and vegetable consumption) were collected and analyzed to identify factors associated with overweight. The study found that the prevalence of overweight among Malaysian adults was 50.1%. Multivariate analyses showed that several factors, including female gender, ages 30-59 years, being Malay, Indian or other Bumiputeras, being married, and having adequate health literacy, were significantly associated with an increased risk of overweight. Additionally, overweight individuals had a significantly higher risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The study suggests that intervention programs should be implemented in an equitable and cost-effective manner to target these high-risk populations and address the burden of overweight in Malaysia.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study obtained ethical approval from the Medical Research and Ethics Committee, Ministry of Health Malaysia. It was registered under the National Medical Research Registry with number NMRR-18-3085-44207.

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