RESEARCH PAPER
Prevalence of obesity – baseline assessment in the prospective cohort ‘PONS’ study
 
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1
Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Social Medicine, Wroclaw, Poland
 
2
Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
 
3
Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Dietetics, Wroclaw, Poland
 
4
Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Food Science and Dietetics, Wroclaw, Poland
 
5
Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Internal Medicine, Wroclaw, Poland
 
6
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, University Medical Center Trondheim, Norway
 
7
Laboratory of Functional Diagnostics, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
 
8
Department of Health Promotion, Food and Nutrition, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
 
9
European Health Inequalities Observatory, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2011;18(2):246-250
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Objective:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population of Świętokrzyskie Province in Poland.

Material and Methods:
Body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) in the Polish-Norwegian Study (PONS) was measured in 2,567 females and 1,287 males. Anthropometric measurements included fat mass, height, weight, waist and hip circumference. BMI and WHR were calculated.

Results:
Data showed that 52% of males and 42% of females were overweight (25.0≤BMI<30.0 kg/m2), and the prevalence of obesity (BMI≥30.0 kg/m2) was 35% in both genders. The average BMI was higher in males (28.5 kg/m2) than in females (28.2 kg/m2). Analysis of WC showed that 36% of males and 45% of females had abdominal obesity, whereas measurements of WHR showed abdominal obesity in 64% of males and 79% of females. Generally, the prevalence of obesity was higher in the older age group (55-64 years) and in rural inhabitants. The prevalence of overweight increased with educational level, but the prevalence of obesity decreased with level of education in both males and females.

Conclusions:
Almost 80% of the PONS population were either overweight or obese; therefore, the PONS population is at increased risk of developing obesity-related diseases.

 
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eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
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