Background & Objective: The prevalence of obesity, one of the greatest public health problems in the world has tripled in many countries since three decades ago this increase is often faster in developing countries than in the developed world. Gathering information on the main factors involved in the occurrence of obesity in different geographical areas plays a key role in the prevention of it. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in relation to various factors in the Zanjan population.
Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2500 Zanjan residents aged between 15 and 64 years who were randomly selected through cluster sampling via their postal codes, using the protocol of the WHO STEPwise approach. Information on demographic characteristics was collected using questionnaires. Weight and height were measured according to standard protocols. Those with a BMI within the range of 25-29.9 Kg/m2 and 30 Kg/m2 or above were classified as overweigh and obese, respectively. Overweight and obesity were defined based on the WHO classification. Data was analyzed using Chi-Square tests and Logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios.
Results: The prevalence of being overweight and obese in this population were 30.7% and 15% respectively. The proportion of obesity was 21.3% in women and 8.9% in men. The prevalence of obesity increased with increasing age and in both sexes was the highest in 45-54 year olds. Both prevalences of overweight and obesity were greater in urban residents and married participants. The prevalence of obesity was also decreased with increasing educational level.
Conclusion: High prevalence of overweight and obesity in this population, specifically within high-risk groups, highlights the need to implement interventions for reducing this epidemic.