title: Influence of urbanization level and Gross Domestic Product on the prevalence of adolescent obesity in Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is considered as a major disease of twenty-first century civilization. Its occurrence in Poland and worldwide has been increasing steadily for many years. Several factors play an important role in the development of overweight and obesity. In addition to the genetic factors and those associated with diseases of the endocrine system and nervous system, the rapidly growing number of obese people is due to improper nutrition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this paper, authors attempt to justify the prevalence of obesity in Poland among the population of adolescent and young adults aged 15 - 29 years of age, depending on the urbanization level and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of voivodeships.
  
  
  METHODS
  Voivodeships, as an entity of regional autonomy, were divided into two groups according to urbanization level and GDP per capita. From the total population of each voivodeship population, groups of overweight and obese people aged 15-29 were selected. The population group aged 15-29 was divided into male and female subgroups. Each subgroup was compared in the different voivodeships, depending on the urbanization level and GDP per capita.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study shows that there is a strong linear relationship between the prevalence of obesity and GDP per capita of each examined region. During the study, the correlation between the level of prevalence of obesity and urbanization level produced a negative result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high level of regional economic development in the economic transformation states has a significant impact on the increase in the percentage of people with overweight and obesity in the population aged 15-29. Gender and place of residence (urban or rural areas) did not show significant correlation with the occurrence of overweight and obesity in the study group of the population.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Paediatrics, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zienkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okoński
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matuszewski
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Planning, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zienkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Informatics and Statistics, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goździewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klatka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014507:Urbanization; D055815:Young Adult