Background: Obesity is a growing public health concern that is attracting global attention as one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, the number of obese people is increasing at an alarming rate, with attendant high economic burden on the health care systems. Many factors have been identified to be associated with obesity. Some of these factors are found within the context of the family. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of obesity and identify the relevant family factors associated with it among adult patients in North-Central Nigeria.

Method: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study conducted between December 2018 and April 2019 involving 392 patients aged 18 years and above who attended the General Outpatient Clinic of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. The participants were selected by systematic random sampling method. Data was collected by interviewer-administered questionnaires. Clinical measurements of weight(kg) and height(cm) were taken, and BMI (kg/m²) calculated. Data was analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS^®) version 17 software.

Results: A total of 392 consented patients were recruited. There were 229 females (58.4%) and 163 males (41.6 %). The mean age of the patients was 41.46 ± 1.33 years. The proportion of those with obesity was 25.3% and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.29 ± 0.79 kg/m². Living arrangement and source of financial support were the family factors significantly associated with obesity (Fisher’s exact; p< 0.001 and χ²=44.474, df = 4, p< 0.001 respectively)