HN-02350259_The Prevalence of Obesity and Related Factors in Women: An Urban Survey Study

Introduction: Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease that causes psychological problems, and also, is a major health problem that can lead to chronic illness. In this study, we aimed to determine the obesity prevalence and the factors affecting this prevalence in randomly selected volunteers from residents of the city of Ahvaz.Methods: This randomized, multi-stage, cluster sampling cross-sectional study is conducted to evaluate the prevalence of obesity and related factors among old urban women that were invited to Health Centers of Ahvaz. Data were collected using demographic information, Food frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). In this study obesity was considered as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg / m².Results: The mean age of participants was 38.9± 8 years old. Totally, 73% were overweight and/or obese. There was relationship between BMI and consumption of oils and sweets (P <0.05), although in general score of food frequency questionnaire, the relations were not significant.Conclusion: Prevention education programs for achieving higher education, changing in lifestyle including having a healthier nutritional diet, consuming the less oils and sweets, fast foods and higher fruit and vegetables are recommended.

Keywords:

Obesity , Prevalence , Women