Use of Body Mass Index of Adults in Assessing Nutritional Status

Abstract

In the assessment of nııtritional status of individuals and commıınities, anthropometric measurements are used. Body mass index (BMI) is used in adults as a measure of heighthveight ratio, tlıinness, obesity and malnutrition. The data presented here were taken from a study wlıich was conducted in Yenibosna, İstanbul between 1993-1994. The heights and weights of 376 wonıcn were taken by means of Standard measurement tools. The mean of their ages was 32.7±6.17 years, heights 156.28±5.48 cm, weights 68.39±12.53 kg, BMI 28.11±4.99 kg/m2 respectively. 72.1% of o ur population ’s BMI was 25.0 or above, 32.7% was 30.0 or above. An increasing BMI was associated with age, nımıber of pregnancy, nımıber of alive births, nımıber of living children, number of itıduced abortion, duration of nıarriage. A statistically significant relation was found between BMI and the factors such as snıoking, taking of oral contraceptives, edııcational status of the wonıan, and diastolic/systolic blood pressııre. However, the relation between BMI and the factors such as lıematocrit, self-assessment of their health statııs, diabetes, and hypertlıyroidism was not found to be statistically significant. We compared our data with the otıes of the Health and Population Sıırvey whiclı was carried out in Turkey, in 1993. The data of t hat survey w er e taken as population measurements. When compared with oıır fındings regarding the lıeight, weigfıt, BMI, and BMI according to age the results w er e found to be statistically significant. Obesity is a serioııs health problem, increasing the death risk with or without lıypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, gallstones. The use of BMI in adults must be generalized to evaluate nııtritional status of the people.