Measuring Vulnerability of Urban Korean Women to Weight Management Problems

Abstract

The study examines factors associated with BMI among urban women responsible for food shopping and preparation in the Republic of Korea. The preliminary ANOVA analysis of the survey data collected from women residing in seven major urban centers is followed by the logistic estimation of the equation identifying individual characteristics and household features changing the probability of undesirable BMI. Low income, low education, location, preference for convenience, sweet-tasting foods, and home vegetable processing are linked to BMI ≥ 25. Respondents reporting weekly fruits and vegetable expenditure considered normal or above normal are less likely to be overweight. Profiles of urban women (in a country where more than 80 percent of people live in urban areas) vulnerable to becoming overweight or obese are developed and probabilities of changing the BMI based on respondent characteristics are calculated. There is a need for multipronged efforts including public and private sectors to address the increasing weight management problems among urban women to address differences in socioeconomic, location, health, and food choice factors predicting change in BMI.