PREVALENCE OF OBESITY AMONG THE ADULT POPULATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

Significance. The relevance of the study is substantiated by the widespread prevalence and high significance of obesity as one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Purpose. To evaluate prevalence of obesity among adults in the Russian Federation and identify contributing factors. Material and methods. The analysis used data from the Federal statistical observation form No. 1 – the health of the population “Questionnaire for households”, 2022. The survey was conducted in 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The study results were statistically processed using Statistica for Windows version 10.0, Stata, and R-studio software packages. Pearson’s goodness-of-fit test (chi-square test, χ²) was used to compare the distributions of qualitative variables. The odds ratio was calculated to compare qualitative variables. Results. 98,335 people (42% men and 58% women aged 18 and over) took part in the survey. The average age of the respondents was 44 ± 27 years. 40% of the respondents were overweight; 24% of the respondents were obese, of which: 72% with grade 1, 21% with grade 2, and 7% with grade 3. The average body mass index in the Russian Federation in 2022 was 27.3 ± 0.67 kg/m2. At the same time, the highest value was recorded in the Kaluga region (28.5 kg/m2), the lowest one in the Astrakhan region (25.6 kg/m2). The largest proportion of obese people was registered in the Oryol (35.1%), Kaluga (34.9%) and Ryazan (34.3%) regions, the smallest one - in the Chechen Republic (11.6%), Astrakhan Region (13.4%) and the city of Moscow (13.7%). A statistically significantly higher proportion of obese respondents were registered among women (28%), rural residents (29%), and people with chronic non-communicable diseases (32%), feelings of anxiety and depression (32%), compared with the rest of the population, p < 0.05 for all comparisons. Conclusion. The factors contributing to obesity are as follows: over retirement age; lack of higher education; living in rural areas; presence of at least one chronic non-communicable disease: cardiovascular, endocrine or gastrointestinal tract diseases; affiliation with the group of pensioners, businessmen and civil servants; insufficient knowledge about balanced diet, and feeling uncertainty about the future. Identifying target groups among adults with due regard to the factors affecting the prevalence of obesity, will make it possible to plan and develop major measures to combat it. Keywords: obesity; overweight; body mass index; factors contributing to obesity; prevention and early detection of obesity; groups at risk for overnutrition