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The prevalence and risk role of overweight and obesity in the development of non-communicable diseases, based on data from the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS)
68-76Views:219Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) caused by overweight, and obesity are a major public health problem worldwide.
The main aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity in Hungary, and to identify the factors contributing to the onset of overweight and obesity, as well as to assess their risk factors for various diseases.
In our analysis, we used the matched questions of the 2009, 2014 and 2019 databases of the European Health Interview Survey, which could be considered as representative for the Hungarian adult population. Categorical data were analysed using chi-square tests and associations between obesity and disease were assessed using multiple logistic regression models.
After data cleaning, the database included 4886 participants in 2009, 5598 in 2014 and 5360 in 2019, resulting in a final sample size of 15844. The prevalence of obesity was 56% [95% CI: 54%-57%] in 2009 and 55% [95% CI: 54%-56%] in 2014; by 2019, it had increased to 62% [95% CI: 60%-63%]. In terms of gender, 64% of men and 52% of women were overweight or obese. By age group, the highest prevalence of overweight or obese was among those aged 65 and beyond (69%). In the case of education level, those with primary education (60%) were most frequently overweight or obese.
Adjusted for the year of the study, gender, age, education, marital status, self-perceived health status, how much someone can do for their health, region, and fruit and vegetable consumption habits, the presence of overweight or obesity increased the odds of developing respiratory diseases by 18% (OR=1.18; p=0.011) and musculoskeletal diseases by 41% (OR=1.41; p<0.001). Cardiovascular diseases were 2.33 times (OR=2.33; p<0.001), while metabolic diseases were 2.19 times (OR=2.19; p<0.001) more likely to develop among overweight or obese people.
The results demonstrate that the prevalence of obesity in Hungary is extremely high, and that it is also a risk factor for the development of several diseases of public health significance. For this reason, the development of public health initiatives aimed at reducing overweight and obesity should be a priority.