Prevalence of Obesity and Overweight and Its Associated Factors in Urban Adults from West Azerbaijan, Iran: The National Food and Nutritional Surveillance Program (NFNSP)

Background and Objectives: Globally, the prevalence of overweight/obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and of these, over 600 million are obese. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in West Azerbaijan, Iran, in 2014. Materials and Methods: Data were collected as part of the National Food and Nutritional Surveillance Program (NFNSP). A total of 249 men and women aged 20&ndash;60 from West Azerbaijan were included in the survey conducted in 2014. Body height and weight were measured with light clothing and no footwear after overnight fasting. Results: Mean age of the participants was 38.5 &plusmn;7.8 yrs. Mean BMI was 28.0&plusmn;4.9 kg/m2 (men: 26.8&plusmn;4.2 vs. women: 29.0&plusmn;5.3, p<0.001). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 36.5% (men: 38.6 % vs. women: 34.8%, p: 0.439) and 33.3% (men: 25.4 vs. women: 40.0 %, p: 0.016), respectively. Women were more likely to be overweight or obese than males (P=0.038). Multiple logistic regression revealed that gender (women vs. men) (OR, 2.05; CI, 1.15-3.65; p,0.014) and age (OR, 1.06; CI, 1.01-1.1; p,0.004) increased the risk of becoming overweight or obese. Women who were housewives were five times more at risk of becoming overweight or obese (OR: 4.93; CI: 1.9-12.3; p<0.001) even after adjusting for age and educational level. Conclusions: The high prevalence of weight problems in West Azerbaijan is a serious health concern, especially in women. The lifestyle of housewives is a potential risk factor for weight gain in women. Keywords: Obesity, Prevalence, Azerbaijan, Adults