Distribution and Correlates of Obesity in a Korean Rural People.
- Author:
Jong Ku PARK
1
;
Sang Baek KOH
;
Myung Gun KANG
;
Jin Baek KIM
;
Sook Jung HYUN
;
Ju Hee HONG
;
Jun Ho PARK
;
Sei Jin CHANG
Author Information
1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute of Occupational Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Korea. chang@wonju.yonsei.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Obesity;
Body mass index;
Body fat percent
- MeSH:
Adipose Tissue;
Adolescent;
Body Mass Index;
Divorce;
Drinking;
Female;
Humans;
Logistic Models;
Male;
Marital Status;
Obesity*;
Physical Examination;
Prevalence;
Risk Factors;
Surveys and Questionnaires
- From:Korean Journal of Epidemiology
2004;26(2):8-19
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The aim of present study was to assess the distribution and correlates of obesity in a Korean rural people using both body mass index(BMI) and body fat percent. METHODS: A total of 1,243 participants were recruited using a two-staged stratified sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to ask their sociodemographics (gender, age, marital status, educational background, and etc.) and health-related behaviors (smoking, drinking, and regular exercise etc.). The data of weight-for height, and body fat percent were also collected by physical examination. For the estimation and analysis of correlates of obesity, we used BMI(>or=25kg/m2) and body fat percent(male>or=25%, female>or=30) as a cut-point of obesity. All analyses were stratified to three age groups(>20, 20-39, 40>or=). RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity in this study was higher than that in previous studies. This study showed that 32.6% (male: 33.7%, female: 31.7%) of participants according to BMI, and 45.6% (male: 43.8%, female: 47.4%) of them according to body fat percent were obese group. Logistic regression analysis showed that, in the criteria of BMI, while obesity was associated with female and low educational background under the age of 40, prevalence of obesity was higher in non smokers over the age of 40. In case of body fat percent crteria, single(unmarried, divorced, separated, widowed) were more likely to be obese in male aged 20 to 39 years. In the group aged 40 years and over, risk of obesity was higher in female than in male. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that obesity is common in Korean rural areas, especially among adolescents and female aged 40 years or over, and the risk factors for obesity were different by age. It is required that health management program focusing on obesity and its adverse outcomes should be developed in a community setting.
