Prevalence of Obesity among Young Women in Vellore District

Obesity and overweight is the fifth leading cause for death all over the world and the prevalence rate is increasing in both developing and developed countries. Obesity is a common health problem which affects all age groups. Young women with obesity face the risks of medical, psychological and reproductive challenges and studies also reported that numerous health risks have been associated with overweight including hypertension, respiratory disease, several orthopedic disorders, diabetes and elevated serum lipid concentrations. The study is carried out with the objective to assess the prevalence rate of obesity among young women. The area selected for the study was Vellore District, Tamil Nadu. Out of 123 colleges, 10% were selected representing four areas - North, South, East and West. A total number of 2278 students of 18-25 years were selected with inclusion and exclusion criteria. To assess the obesity, height and weight were measured using standard protocols and the BMI calculated using WHO classification. Among the selected young women 17.4 % were 18-20 years, 57.2 % were 21-22 years and the remaining 25.1 % were 23-25 years. The prevalence rate of underweight was 18.9 %, normal (61.2 %), overweight (7.1%), obese grade I (6.4%) and obese grade II (4 %.) It was found that 17.5 % of young women were obese. The results were analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics namely mean, standard deviation and ‘t’ test. P-value of <0.0001 was statistically significant. The results of the present study revealed the need for a suitable intervention strategy for the management of obesity among young women.