RISK FACTORS ASSOCCIATED WITH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AMONG REPRODUCTIVE AGED FEMALE RESIDING IN ITAHARI SUB-METROPOLITAN CITY

Abstract

The study was intended to assess risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among Reproductive Aged Females residing in Itahari Sub-metropolitan city. A cross-sectional qualitative study was performed on 202 reproductive-aged females of 15-49 years of age with a structured questionnaire. Weight, height, waist and hip circumference were measured to determine indicators of overweight and obesity. General obesity was determined using WHO BMI classification while, WC and WHR analyzed abdominal obesity as per IDF and WHO criteria respectively. For data analysis, Microsoft package 16 (Excel and Word) and SPSS Statistics version 20 was used. Chi-square test was used to establish association between variables under study. The study revealed 29.2% of respondents were overweight and 9.4% were obese; 59.9% of them were abdominally obese by WC and 67.8% by WHR. Here, mean BMI was 24.20±3.91 kg/m2 and mean WC was 85.55±10.53 cm with mean WHR of 0.90±0.06 cm. Factors like age, marital status, parity, sleeping hours, eating pattern/vegetarianism, alcohol, egg and fast foods were factors found significantly associated (p<0.05) with overweight and obesity. Similarly, Age, marital status, education, occupation, family size, parity, contraceptive and physical adequacy were associated (p<0.05) with abdominal obesity. However, Factors like consumption of alcoholic drinks, egg and processed foods were only significantly associated (p<0.05) with BMI. Factors like, occupation and physical adequacy were only significantly associated (p<0.05) associated with WC. The study depicted the prevalence of overweight and obesity among reproductive aged females residing in Itahari sub-metropolitan city. Thus, overweight and obesity should be viewed as serious problems/issue