Self-evaluation of Body Weigltt, Obesity Prevalence and Sorne of the Factors Affecting Obesity Among Women, Aged 18 and över, Living in a Group of Apartments in Batıkent-2 Primary Health Çenter Area

Abstract

This is a deseriptive study aimed to determine the obesity prevalence, the relationships bet\veen obesity and some o f the sociodenıographic characteristics among women, aged 18 years and över, living in a group o f apartments in Ba tikent- 2 Primary Health Çenter area bet\veen 1-8 Aııgust, 2003. The study group consisted o f 202 women. The data vvere collected via face-to-face questionnaire. The mean (±S) age o f the vvomen in this study was 38.04 ± 13.12 years. According to the results o f body mass index (BMI) evaluation o f these women, 5.0% o f them were underweight, 55.0% were normal, 29.7% were overvveight and 10.3% were obese. Seventy percent o f yvomen vvith a BMI classifıed as obese were defining themselves as obese, the remaining 30.0% as overweight. Approximately two-thirds (59.1%) o f vvomen vvith normal BMI were defining themselves as normal, 32.7% as overvveight and 3.7% as obese. More than half (55.0%) o f vvomen vvith BMI classifıed as overvveight were evaluating themselves as overvveight and 35.0% as obese. Thirty percent o f vvomen vvith BMI classifıed as undenveight vvere defining themselves as normal (X*=170.10, p<0.001). The ratio o f obese and overvveight was greater among vvomen who have been married some time during their lives (49.6%) compared to vvomen vvho have never got married (%11.8) (X2=36.01, p<0.001). 78.4%) o f postmenopausal and 27.1% o f premenopausal vvomen in this study vvere in the obese or overvveight group (X2=46.71, p<0.001). 55.3% of vvomen vvho have got at least one child and 11.4% o f vvomen vvho have never given birth to a child vvere in the obese or overvveight group (K2^ 46.04, p<0.001). 5.2% o f vvomen vvho had occupation and 13.6% o f vvomen vvithout occupation had a BMI classifıed as obese, vvhereas most o f the vvomen (70.1%) vvith an occupation and 45.6% o f vvomen vvithout an occupation had a BMI classifıed as normal QP= 13.48, p<0.01). Within the concept o f health services, importance should be given to subjects of obesity in the follovving studies about nutrition. In these studies, married, gravida and postmenopausal vvomen should be the priority groups and self-evaluation o f body vveight of the individuals should be taken into consideration.