Prevalence of Obesity and Associated Factors in a Brazilian Municipality: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20952/jrks7121505

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of obesity and associated factors among residents of a municipality in southern Espírito Santo, Brazil. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted through a household survey in the municipality of Alegre between November and December 2021. Descriptive analysis included frequency distributions for categorical variables and calculation of means and standard deviations for continuous variables. Factors associated with obesity were investigated using Poisson regression with robust variance. A total of 645 individuals were interviewed. Based on self-reported weight and height, the prevalence of obesity was 27.6%. Factors associated with obesity included age below 60 years, female sex, self-reported Black race/skin color, better self-rated health, not being vaccinated against COVID-19, and self-reported hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of obesity was high in the studied population. These findings contribute to the identification of groups more vulnerable to obesity and may support the development of prevention, health promotion, and disease management strategies aimed at reducing the burden of obesity and its associated comorbidities.

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Published

2026-09-21

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Health Sciences