Prevalence of obesity in Samsun province and relationship between obesity and blood pressure

Abstract

Obesity is an important public health problem because it is highly correlated to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease and effects the quality of life. In this study, the prevalence of obesity is determined in a study group of 420 adults (210 women, 210 men) over 20 years of age, selected by 30 cluster sampling process between February 15-March 20 1999 in Samsun province. A questionnaire was applied to the study group and height, body weight and blood pressure measurements were taken from all participants. Body mass index (BMI) is used to evaluate obesity. Participants with body mass index of equal or more than 25 kg/m2 are defined as obese and less than that as normal. The prevalence of obesity was 69.8% (73.3% in women, 66.2% in men) in Samsun province. The mean BMI in women and men were 29.8 ± 0.3 kg/m2 and 26.8 ± 0.3 kg/m2 respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The mean age of obese and normal participants were 53.1 ± 0.9 and 39.7 ± 1.5 years respectively and there was a statistically significant difference between them. There was also a positive correlation between BMI and age (r = 0.31, p < 0.001). Mean systolic and diastolic pressures were higher in women than in men (p < 0.01) and obese than in normals (p < 0.001). 43.7% of the obese group were hypertensive and 86.3% of hypertensives were obese. There was a positive correlation between obesity and systolic (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) and diastolic (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) blood pressures. In conclusion, obesity was associated with sex, age, systolic and diastolic blood pressures. In prevention of atherosclerosis and coronary heart diseases obesity and blood pressures should be evaluated together.