Obesity and health-related quality of life among immigrant Meskhetian Turks in Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major determinant of health-related quality of life, affecting both physical and mental well-being. Meskhetian Turks, due to their migration history, face specific socioeconomic (low income, limited healthcare and education access) and cultural challenges (acculturation stress, dietary changes, social exclusion) that may increase obesity risk and adversely affect health-related quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of obesity and health-related quality of life among immigrant Meskhetian Turks residing in Ahlat District, Bitlis Province, Turkey. A total of 120 adults (62 men, 58 women) participated voluntarily between October 2021 and May 2022. Data collection included socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist, hip, and neck circumferences), and the SF-36 Health Survey. RESULTS: The mean age was 41.32 ± 15.47 years. Overall, 60.8% were overweight and 14.2% had obesity. The mean SF-36 scores were below the norm values of Turkish society, indicating reduced health-related quality of life. Daily meal frequency was significantly associated with several SF-36 domains, with participants consuming ≥ 4 meals per day reporting lower physical and mental health scores. In multivariate regression analyses, age emerged as the only independent predictor of both PCS and MCS scores, with older adults reporting lower quality of life, whereas BMI and other sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were not independently associated. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the dual challenges of obesity and reduced quality of life among Meskhetian Turks. Interventions should particularly address the needs of older adults while also promoting healthy dietary behaviors. Future research should explore longitudinal and context-specific factors, including acculturation, chronic disease burden, and preventive health service access, to better understand how migration-related stressors influence health-related quality of life over time.