The effects of socio-economic status on BMI, waist:hip ratio and waist circumference in a group of Iranian women.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of socio-economic status (SES) on BMI, waist:hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) in a group of Iranian women.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 888 women in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. SES was measured using level of education. In addition, parity, marital status and physical activity were assessed. Standardized measurements were taken, BMI and WHR were calculated.


RESULTS
Low education level was a strong determinant of overweight and obesity among Iranian women. After controlling for age, women with higher education level had significantly lower BMI, WC and parity. Multiple linear regression analysis found a significant negative association of BMI and WC with education level and a significant positive association of BMI and WC with parity. Significant factors associated with obesity by a logistic regression model were education level (OR for university graduates v. illiterate or low literacy levels: 1.00 v. 3.70; P = 0.01), living with spouse (OR for married v. single subjects: 1.00 v. 0.15; P = 0.05), parity (OR for more than five v. less than two pregnancies: 1.00 v. 0.34; P = 0.03) and WC (OR for < 0.88 cm v. > or = 0.88 cm: 1.00 v. 11.20; P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study revealed that educational level, multiple pregnancies, marital status and lack of exercise are some possible explanations for the obesity among Sistan and Baluchestan women.
Shahraki
Mansour
M
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Shahraki
Touran
T
Ansari
Hossein
H
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D017533:Marital Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010298:Parity; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio