Obesity from the Perspective of Socioeconomic Factors: The Case of Kahramanmaraş

In this research, the relationship between the socioeconomic structures of individuals living in the city center of Kahramanmaraş and their body mass index (BMI) is analyzed, and the descriptive factors affecting excessive weight and obesity are aimed to be determined. The study was carried out with 551 people who were registered in the Family Health Centers affiliated with Kahramanmaraş, Onikişubat, and Dulkadiroğlu District Health Directorates, who were 18 years of age or older and voluntarily participated in the research. Within the scope of the research, a survey was conducted to reveal the effects of socioeconomic factors such as gender, age, marital status, number of children, education level, working status, and income level on obesity. It was observed that 38.1% of the participants in the study were overweight and 20.1% were obese. It was found that the state of being overweight or obese were associated with socioeconomic characteristics of individuals such as gender, age, marital status, number of children, education level, working status and income level. It was demonstrated that the BMI values of males were statistically higher than females; those who were married or whose spouse had died were higher than those who had never married; and those who were homemaker or retirees were higher than those of other occupational groups. Additionally, it was observed that as the ages, the number of children, and the income levels of individuals increased, their BMI values also increased. While no statistically significant relationship was found between education level and BMI values in men, a moderate and negative relationship was found in women.