Socioeconomic and Lifestyle Determinants of Obesity Among Turkish Women: Evidence From a Cross-Sectional Study

Obesity among Turkish women remains a major public health challenge, with Turkiye ranking first in women obesity rates across Europe. Despite national health promotion efforts, obesity prevalence continues to rise, emphasizing the need to identify its socioeconomic and behavioral determinants. This study analyzes data from the 2017 Turkish Nutrition and Health Survey (TNHS), a nationally representative sample of approximately 6900 women aged 18 to 85. Missing data for daily walking time were addressed using multiple imputation by chained equations, and the survey's multi-stage design was incorporated through survey-adjusted Generalized Ordered Logit Models. Socioeconomic predictors include age, education, employment, and marital status, while behavioral variables cover nighttime snacking and daily walking duration. Age and marital status significantly increase the probability of obesity, whereas higher education and employment reduce it by 15 to 19 and 5% points, respectively. "Night snack" and "Walk" variables display the expected signs but limited statistical significance, suggesting that lifestyle behaviors alone cannot explain obesity variation. The overweight category exhibits mostly insignificant marginal effects, indicating that determinants exert stronger influence at the normal and obese thresholds. Findings highlight that structural socioeconomic factors, rather than individual behaviors, primarily drive obesity among Turkish women. Effective interventions should therefore combine educational and workplace programs with culturally sensitive public health strategies. This study provides robust, nationally representative evidence to inform gender-responsive obesity prevention policies in Turkiye and comparable societies undergoing rapid socioeconomic change.<b>JEL Classification:</b> I12, I14, J16.