Overweight prevalence and associated factors. Matanzas Municipality 2009-2010

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most common problems associated to life style. Since 1998, the World Health Organization considers obesity a global epidemic. It is the most frequent metabolic disorder in childhood and adolescence, and also the main non-declarable disease. According to national research, its prevalence have changed from 32 % to 42,6 %. In the last risk factors national enquiry of 2001, the municipality of Matanzas presented 40.4 % prevalence per 100 inhabitants. This research was carried out with the aim of to determine overweight prevalence and identifying the associated factors in persons aged 15 and more years among the population of the municipality of Matanzas in the period 2009-2010. For that we developed a cross-sectional analytic observational study. The analysis was made using the methodology for complex samples. The sample was randomized, stratified for every decennial age bracket per gender; 2 640 persons gave their consent for participating and were questioned. We used the risk approach and bi-variable analysis, calculating the odd ratio with 95 % confidence intervals. Among the main results was 54.9 % overweight prevalence per 100 persons; the associated factors found were: lack of systematical physical exercising, gender, scholarship, age, occupation, arterial hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes mellitus antecedents.