Abstract

Introduction: This study was aimed to determine anthropometric profiles and risk factors among women aged between 20-64 years living in Çorum province-Middle Black Sea Region of Anatolia.
Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted during December 2014 in two family health centers region from Çorum. The population of study was consisted of registered women aged ≥20. During the research volunteer 200 women have been included to the study without sample selection.Data were collected via a 30- item questionnaire form asking socio-demographic features, health-illness status, eating habits, physical activity of women. Anthropometric profiles of women were determined by Body Mass Index and Waist-Hip Ratio. Analysis of the differences in the frequency of categorical variables was carried out by using the χ² test. Correlations between anthropometric variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation analysis.
Results: Of the study population, 27.9% were overweight and 39.6% were obese. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 45.0%. Increase in age, low educational level, being married, being housewife, low economic status, having children, obesity in the first relatives, menopause, not consumed heavy-vegetable diet were the risk factors for women’s anthropometric profiles.
Conclusions: This study has shown that, overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity were prevalent among women. In addition to Body Mass Index, Waist-Hip Ratio measurements should be used, to promote health education and counselling services should be given to women in primary care services.

Key words: Anthropometry; primary health care; women’s health; risk factors