The awareness of obesity associated comorbidities among normal weight, overweight and obese individuals: a cross sectional analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is one of the most important community health threatening problem, because of its high prevalence and associated comorbidities. Each of these comorbidities have various risks for health. There are very few studies investigating the awareness of people about obesity associated comorbiditiesMethods: Five-hundred adult patients, admitted to Endocrinology amp; Internal Medicine outpatient clinics, whose body mass index was gt;18.5 kg/m2 and completed a questionnaire concerning obesity associated comorbidities were included in this study. Each correct answer was scored as 1 point. Each participant’s total score and mean total score (MTS) was calculated. The scores among normal weight, overweight and obese groups were compared. Besides the questionnaire, age, gender, education level was asked and waist and hip circumference, height and weight were measured by the researchers.Results: Mean education score was the lowest in the obese group, altough MTS was the highest. Awareness of obesity associated stroke, breast cancer and osteoarthritis were significantly higher in the obese group when compared to the other groups, but there was no difference between men and women. Awareness of obesity associated menstrual irregularity and infertility was higher in women, hypertension and prostate cancer was higher in men. Conclusions: Although the education level was lowest in the obese group, the awareness of obesity-associated comorbidities was highest.

Keywords

• obezite
• eşlik eden hastalıklar
• farkındalık
• bilgi düzeyi
• obesity
• comorbidities
• awareness
• education level