OBJECTIVE: To find the prevalence and associated risk factors for overweight and obesity in women living in São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study of 981 women from 20 to 60 years of age was carried out. Overweight was defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 Kg/m² and obesity as BMI e"30 Kg/m². Adjusted and crude measures of association were calculated using Poisson Regression. RESULTS: A total of 31.7% (CI95% 28.9 - 34.7) of women were overweight and 18% (CI95% 15.8 - 20.6) were obese. After adjustments in the multivariate model, risk of obesity was higher in women aged 50 to 60 years, belonging to lower economic classes (D and E), having 5 or more children, parental background of obesity and in those who reported eating fast. Menarch age was shown to have an inverse association with obesity. The risk of overweight increased with age, with the number of children, with marital status and parental background of obesity. The only socioeconomic variable associated with overweight referred to years of schooling. DISCUSSION: There were differences in obesity and overweight determinants. Results confirmed that actions directed toward increasing level of education could have a positive effect on overweight indicators, and indirectly on obesity indicators.
Overweight; Obesity; Women; Prevalence; Risk factors
