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Risk factors for obesity in adults from the city of Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract:

Introduction and Objective: Obesity is a disease of epidemic magnitude that affects both children and adults, which is influenced by ethnic, cultural, demographic and metabolic factors. Studies related to this disease in the adult population of Ecuador are scarce so the main objective of this research was to identify the main risk factors for obesity in individuals from the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 318 individuals of both sexes, randomly selected. Obesity was defined according to the criteria of the World Health Organization and a model of binary logistic regression was performed to identify the main associated factors in a multivariate context. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 23,6% (27,5% in women and 18,4% men). After adjustment in a multivariate model for obesity, the risk factor that showed stronger association was Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (OR=5,95; 95%CI: 1,45-24,41; p=0,01) followed by categories of Hypertension and high intake of daily calories. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity in the city of Cuenca is less than that shown in other Latin American cities, however; sociocultural, psychobiological and metabolic factors exist that might influence its occurrence risk, with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and high calorie diet as major determinants to consider in the diagnosis and management of this disease.