PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC PHYSICAL DISEASES IN OBESE WOMEN

Abstract

Background and objectives:Obesity is accepted as independent risk factors for many diseases In this context, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of chronic physical diseases in obese women. Methods: The sample of this descriptive and cross-sectionally study consisted of 108 women patients who hospitalized with a chronic physical diseases in a university’s public hospital, BMI was 30= kg/m2, had a sufficient cognitive level and agreed to participate in the study were included in the study sample.Data were obtained using patient identification form. The data were interpreted in the SPSS 22.0 package program. In distribution of demographic and disease related characteristics of women, mean, standard deviation and percentage distribution were used. Results: The average age of obese women is 62.27±12.10, 49.1% of them are illiterate, 65.7% are married. 6.5% of women are currently smoking. 47.2% of obese women have two or more chronic physical diseases. When chronic physical disease distribution in obese women was examined, it was determined that 31.2% had diabetes, 28.1% had hypertension and 17.2% had asthma. It was determined that 8.4% of the participants did not use the treatment regularly.Conclusion: Obesity is accompanied by many chronic physical diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. It is necessary to evaluate women for obesity, to raise awareness for obesity, to create supportive individual programs for obese women to lose weight, and to monitor obesity in order to prevent morbidity and mortality related to chronic physical diseases.