[Overweight and obesity among health-professional women].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women health service workers.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2002-2003 period. We included 487 workers of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Colima, Mexico. We carried out a clinical measurement of weight and height. The indicator of overweight and obesity was obtained from the body mass index, that is, a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. The used criteria were similar to the ones established by the WHO: well-nourished (BMI from 18.5 to 24.9), overweight (BMI from 25.0 to 29.9), and obesity (BMI = 30). The obtained data were captured in a computer terminal and processed by means of an automated model. We calculated the frequencies distribution and the prevalence.


RESULTS
Of the 487 women, 121 (25%) had an appropriate weight, 210 (43%) showed overweight, and 156 (32%) had obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
The overweight and obesity prevalence among the women health service workers was of 75%.
Navarro Nuñez
Carlos
C
Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Colima.
Venegas Ochoa
Urbicio
U
Navarro Solares
Juan Carlos
JC
Corbalá Solares
Johana
J
Cárdenas
Victor M
VM
Campos
Armando
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight; D015995:Prevalence; D014931:Women, Working