Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are increasingly common conditions in India. It is important to assess the trend of obesity in particular geographical location. In this context there was a research question to know the extent of overweight and obesity among adults in a rural area of Varanasi district.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among adults in a rural area and the factors associated with it.

Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Chiraigaon Development Block of Varanasi District. 201 adults were included in the study. Data were collected by the house to house survey using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. International cutoff points of body mass index (BMI) was used to classify as overweight (BMI ≥25–30) and obese (BMI >30). Simple proportions were calculated, and χ2 Chi-square, ANOVA and logistic regression were applied for statistical significance using SPSS version 17.

Results: 22.9% of the study subjects had BMI more than 25 kg/m2. BMI was maximum in 45–54 years in male subjects while in females it was maximum in 55–64-years age group. Overall, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 16.4%. Adults belonging to other backward caste were noticed at a higher risk of obesity.

Conclusion: The extent of problem of overweight and obesity was high in rural area.

Key words: Body Mass Index; Central Obesity; Obesity; Overweight