Background: Obesity is a nutritional disorder that spans all ages and ethnicities and affects both sexes. World health organization (WHO) in 2000 called an international consultation on obesity to review epidemiological data worldwide, which concluded that obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic and at the same time acknowledged its status as disease.
Aims & Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity in adults of Kashmiri population and their demographic profile in persons aged 18-45 years.
Materials and Methods: Multistage and multiphasic sampling technique was utilized in this study based on WHO classification of obesity according to BMI of 18-45 years of age. Each household was visited and only the subjects having age of 18-45 years were included in this study and this comprised of 5107 subjects, then identified obese cases with the help of height and weight techniques. Only those people who had simple obesity were included in the study. Socio-economic parameters and other demographic parameters were noted in all the subjects of 18-45 years of age .People having secondary obesity, drug induced obesity and pregnant ladies were excluded from this study. The data was collected and analysed using statistical software and chi square and proportional statistical test were applied.
Results: Out of 5107 screened population, the highest prevalence of obesity was 10.92% & seen in 39-45 years category. As per the marital status, highest prevalence of obesity is in the widowed 9.35% followed by married 8.65% and lowest in the singles 4.47%. As per educational status, showing that illiterate population has the highest prevalence of obesity 10.67% followed by university level 7.05% and lowest prevalence in less than high school of study population 6.37%. As per profession, the home duties/house wives group of the study population has the highest prevalence of obesity (8.84%), followed by the employed group (8.07%) then unemployed group having the lowest prevalence of obesity (3.71%). As per income, the income group of the study population who had 30,000 and above income were having the highest prevalence (11.16%) and the prevalence of obesity is lowest in the income group of less than 10,000 (5.65%).
Conclusion: The highest prevalence of obesity is seen associated with increased age group , widowed , illiterate , home duties/house wives group , 30,000 and above income and with more family size.
Key words: Obesity; BMI (Body Mass Index); Marital Status; Income; Literacy
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