Background and Aim:
Obesity is a common disease that has a great impact on humans. It can cause serious illnesses and sometimes death.
Obesity has been grown into an epidemic in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of obesity (when body mass index is more than ۳۰) and its related factors among the students of the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in ۲۰۱۹.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in ۲۰۱۹ and the statistical population included all students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. The sample size in this study was ۴۲۰ people. The method of selection was conducted in two stages, cluster and simple random sampling. Demographic and anthropometric data including, height, weight, waist and hip circumference were measured and documented by the researchers. Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were used for data analysis using SPSS version ۲۱ software.
Results: In this study, ۴۲۰ people including ۱۷۷ male and ۲۴۲ female students participated. The minimum age of participants was ۱۸ and the highest age was ۳۸. The mean age of participants was ۲۳.۱۷. The findings of this study showed that out of the study population, ۲۰.۷% had obesity, ۳۱.۵% had a history of obesity in their first-degree relatives, and ۳۶.۷% had a history of overweight in their first-degree relatives. Out of the ۱۱ variables examined in this study, only the relationship between BMI waist to hip ratio and extent of physical activity per week, as well as economic status, was not significant (P>۰.۰۵). There was a significant relationship between BMI and other variables (P<۰.۰۵).
Conclusion: the results of this study showed that out of the factors examined in this study, having a history of obesity in first-degree relatives, as well as the frequency of fast food consumption per week, were among the most influential factors in the prevalence of obesity and overweight among students of Kurdistan University of medical sciences.